as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
terrified dogs hiding under the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of terrified
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
But there were no loud gasps or terrified screams during the screening.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 May 2026
The four lead the group of terrified and tiny boys, some who look as young or four- or five-years-old.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Aliens, dystopian nightmares, and twisted realities are more than likely provoking a reaction from viewers that flies a lot closer to terrified.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
The Lion—who called himself a coward—kept showing up anyway, shaking and terrified, and fighting every single time.
—Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026
The key cabin crew are flight attendants Penny (Lucy Barrett) and Zoe (Na Shi), both of whom demonstrate bravery, to different ends, and show caring attention to the terrified children.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
Though Ridley Scott works in a drastically different tone than the one John Carpenter brought to Dark Star, the two films share screenwriter Dan O’Bannon’s darkly comedic view of a future that has reduced humans to alternately bored and terrified cogs in larger machines.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
If your social feeds have been overtaken by a seven-foot-tall orange furry creature with unhinged googly eyes chasing terrified hockey fans down a hallway, congratulations — you’ve been introduced to playoff Gritty.
—Ryan Brennan
april 23, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 20 May 2026
Vilnius residents sought shelter Vilnius resident Maryia Malevich said she was terrified when the alert sounded.
—Liudas Dapkus, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
And as Amber Raiken of The Independent observed, remarks like these tank author morale in a moment when many human book-writers are terrified for their livelihoods.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
While the evacuation ended safely, the video quickly sparked reactions online from viewers who said they would have been terrified about climbing down from that height.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Wild-eyed in a register that ranges from dreamy to terrified to stunned into submission, her performance is the most honestly felt thing here.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 May 2026
Modern franchise filmmaking too often feels terrified of critique, with a level of visual polish that leaves otherwise compelling narratives oddly devoid of life.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
The phenomenon of lynching has always fascinated and terrified me, whether physical or mediated.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Reports of emergency meetings of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council reveal a leadership in panic, terrified of a populace that has reached its limit.
—Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Adjective
They are lost in the abyss of the deep ocean, unable to recognize themselves or their surroundings, overwhelmed and terrified.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
But there were no loud gasps or terrified screams during the screening.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 14 May 2026
The four lead the group of terrified and tiny boys, some who look as young or four- or five-years-old.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Aliens, dystopian nightmares, and twisted realities are more than likely provoking a reaction from viewers that flies a lot closer to terrified.
—Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
The Lion—who called himself a coward—kept showing up anyway, shaking and terrified, and fighting every single time.
—Dana Williams, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026
The key cabin crew are flight attendants Penny (Lucy Barrett) and Zoe (Na Shi), both of whom demonstrate bravery, to different ends, and show caring attention to the terrified children.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
Though Ridley Scott works in a drastically different tone than the one John Carpenter brought to Dark Star, the two films share screenwriter Dan O’Bannon’s darkly comedic view of a future that has reduced humans to alternately bored and terrified cogs in larger machines.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
If your social feeds have been overtaken by a seven-foot-tall orange furry creature with unhinged googly eyes chasing terrified hockey fans down a hallway, congratulations — you’ve been introduced to playoff Gritty.
—Ryan Brennan
april 23, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Vilnius resident Maryia Malevich said she was terrified when the alert sounded.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Vilnius residents sought shelter Vilnius resident Maryia Malevich said she was terrified when the alert sounded.
—Liudas Dapkus, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
And as Amber Raiken of The Independent observed, remarks like these tank author morale in a moment when many human book-writers are terrified for their livelihoods.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
While the evacuation ended safely, the video quickly sparked reactions online from viewers who said they would have been terrified about climbing down from that height.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Wild-eyed in a register that ranges from dreamy to terrified to stunned into submission, her performance is the most honestly felt thing here.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 May 2026
Modern franchise filmmaking too often feels terrified of critique, with a level of visual polish that leaves otherwise compelling narratives oddly devoid of life.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
The phenomenon of lynching has always fascinated and terrified me, whether physical or mediated.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Reports of emergency meetings of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council reveal a leadership in panic, terrified of a populace that has reached its limit.
—Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
The Americans in that Nebraska unit are isolated and frightened.—
Craig Spencer,
STAT,
13 May 2026
-
While one held the frightened animal’s head, the other — wearing a sweatshirt with an image of the Virgin Mary — applied the iron to a horn.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
And then other people had been waiting a really long time and were scared of their rights being taken away or scared that their families wouldn't approve.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Outside Idlib, most Syrians have never seen or met a Uyghur fighter before, and the conservative Sunni Muslim beliefs held by many Uyghurs in Syria have scared Syria's minority communities.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
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
-
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
-
As his tricks progressed, the Young Man felt horrified and confused at the same time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Bowers told Vuong, who called the business and legal division while Bowers sent screeners to the horrified standards and practices department of the famously conservative broadcast network.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 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
-
Health experts are growing increasingly alarmed about the outbreak, arguing that cases have been spreading undetected as public health authorities are stretched thin.—
Lauren Weber,
Washington Post,
18 May 2026
-
Yohanan Plesner, the president of the Israel DemocracyInstitute, a nonpartisan think tank, is similarly alarmed.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 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
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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