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
Mark Bradley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 9 May 2026
The kitten, which appeared wet and scared, continued to meow loudly once Lemley had picked it up.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Houston has already had every single storyline thrown its way, from Kevin Durant’s injury to a Game 3 meltdown and head coach Ime Udoka identifying how soft and scared his players were.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
Originally scared of cats, Cox fell in love with a pair of Scottish Folds his wife bought.
—Mark Bradley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 9 May 2026
The kitten, which appeared wet and scared, continued to meow loudly once Lemley had picked it up.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Verb
In 2020, a bout with Covid-19 landed him in the hospital and scared him enough to make some changes.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Houston has already had every single storyline thrown its way, from Kevin Durant’s injury to a Game 3 meltdown and head coach Ime Udoka identifying how soft and scared his players were.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
-
That said, Richie isn’t afraid to switch things up.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
-
Zvyagintsev is not afraid of silence.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The Lord in your convent frightened me, Jesus with his bloody palms and gaping mouth, eyes rolled back in terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
They are lost in the abyss of the deep ocean, unable to recognize themselves or their surroundings, overwhelmed and terrified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
But there were no loud gasps or terrified screams during the screening.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Victor turned to her, startled.—
‘Pemi Aguda,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
The gunfire startled sleeping guests at the Citizen Hotel, which included a wedding party and fans of the rapper Tyler the Creator, who performed at a concert hours earlier.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To her horrified astonishment, Miss Manners has received a number of letters reporting that guests are taking gross advantage of hospitality by cadging future meals.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Let’s not confuse slightly horrified admiration for Irina’s determination with admiration for her as a person.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The teaser trailer opens with Cooke and Lindsay Hubbard giving their shocked reactions to Batula and Wilson’s public statement about their romance, which came in March after cameras stopped rolling on the 10th season, which airs its finale tonight.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
-
Most people are genuinely shocked by what comes back.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Places like Kwigillingok and Kipnuk are stuck — wanting to rebuild and move on, but fearful of the next storm.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
Tate said that is probably because people like how things are going and are generally fearful of change.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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