as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scared
Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
Julia feels like this can’t be a coincidence, but without help from anyone else, she’s left feeling scared and isolated.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
If Washington’s medical staff isn’t scared off by his recent injuries, Kupp is a QB-friendly receiver who should naturally fit opposite McLaurin.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Their competitors are running scared — especially Lete, who has controlled the game for three weeks in a row and still lost half her allies.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
People are scared to go outside because of ICE raids.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
Julia feels like this can’t be a coincidence, but without help from anyone else, she’s left feeling scared and isolated.
—Keith Langston, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
If Washington’s medical staff isn’t scared off by his recent injuries, Kupp is a QB-friendly receiver who should naturally fit opposite McLaurin.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Their competitors are running scared — especially Lete, who has controlled the game for three weeks in a row and still lost half her allies.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
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Don’t be afraid to geek out: The happiest people don’t play it cool.—
Jessica Weiss, Contributor,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2025
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In that moment, McConaughey exemplified a leader who isn’t afraid to embrace vulnerability—a trait that can foster trust and authenticity in any leadership role.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And this week, there’s a very nice sequence in which Matty walks a frightened Zoey, step-by-step, through what to expect when she gets arrested.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2025
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Igor tries to subdue Ani, who's frightened and enraged, kicking and screaming at the prospect of being separated from her new husband.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The movie sees the revival of arch-villain Feathers McGraw, who terrified kids in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 Dec. 2024
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My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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When Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead last month in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home, the community was shocked.—
Jay Stahl,
USA TODAY,
7 Mar. 2025
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The comedy community, meanwhile, was shocked, too, because Hoffman is mostly known as a curmudgeon.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Einbinder appeared extremely fearful of addressing anything about being Jewish at this moment.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
1 Mar. 2025
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Ratliff is a wealthy Southern business mogul confronted by past shady business dealings and fearful that his secrets will come to light and endanger his family, played by Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sam Nivola, and Sarah Catherine Hook.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For others, the reaction may range from being confused, to downright alarmed.—
Oyku Ilgar,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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In addition to league warnings, an alarmed FBI also announced a nationwide crackdown aimed at identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.—
Chelsea Bailey and Josh Campbell,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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