as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
terrified dogs hiding under the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of terrified
Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Three trucks drove by and our kid was terrified.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
Glen Burnie residents reported feeling terrified following the incident.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Innocent men remain terrified of false allegations, while victims still face one terrible choice after another.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Barry’s little sister, who answered the call, was terrified.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
But there’s plenty of agonized screaming, as well as lots of closeups of terrified faces.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
As Arnoldo’s undocumented father, Arnulfo Bazan Carrillo, drove off, the terrified teenager began filming on his phone.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Pearl asks Sam the changeling son, appropriately terrified by the terms of such salvation.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s 11th-hour entrance into the race for Los Angeles mayor infuriated establishment Democrats, thrilled many progressives and terrified some conservatives.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
America would be better off if its elites could act responsibly without being terrified.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
There are things to be terrified of.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
So much of it has become normalized for me, but if a weekend skier was up there, I’d be terrified for them.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Kids who were terrified of snakes stepped a little closer.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Parents in our network describe being terrified, with some fearing their children, many of whom have legal status, could be used as leverage against family members.
—Daniel Anello, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In one of those realities (the actual one most of us are living in), a growing number of people across the political spectrum are angered, terrified and disgusted by actions being taken in their names by people and agencies which seem to have little or no accountability.
—Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Three trucks drove by and our kid was terrified.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
Glen Burnie residents reported feeling terrified following the incident.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Innocent men remain terrified of false allegations, while victims still face one terrible choice after another.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Barry’s little sister, who answered the call, was terrified.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
But there’s plenty of agonized screaming, as well as lots of closeups of terrified faces.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
As Arnoldo’s undocumented father, Arnulfo Bazan Carrillo, drove off, the terrified teenager began filming on his phone.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Pearl asks Sam the changeling son, appropriately terrified by the terms of such salvation.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s 11th-hour entrance into the race for Los Angeles mayor infuriated establishment Democrats, thrilled many progressives and terrified some conservatives.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
America would be better off if its elites could act responsibly without being terrified.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
There are things to be terrified of.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
So much of it has become normalized for me, but if a weekend skier was up there, I’d be terrified for them.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Kids who were terrified of snakes stepped a little closer.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Parents in our network describe being terrified, with some fearing their children, many of whom have legal status, could be used as leverage against family members.
—Daniel Anello, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
While protesters may be frightened and grieving after last month's bloodbath, they're not mollified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Inside the bathysphere of the novel, readers make contact with a darkness that our frightened minds might otherwise reject.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That scream likely scared off the man who showed no signs of backing off.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Broadly, more IPOs are expected this year, thanks to interest rate cuts and a large backlog of companies that have been scared off by market volatility and recession fears.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What happens to the funding for buses and light rail when people are afraid to ride them, and no one buys bus tickets?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Too Much Wall Art Wall art is a great way to make a space feel more complete, but don't be afraid to leave some blank space here and there.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
After several chest compressions, Briana startled awake and cried.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.—
Andrew Dampf,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
-
You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Reigning champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, also known as MJF, looked shocked as the chant began, staring into the camera wide eyed before scanning the crowd.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Fans shared their shocked reactions to the incident on social media.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Others in Guojun’s orbit were more alarmed.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
This year's software stock sell-off, which accelerated Tuesday, has alarmed investors, traders and analysts who worry the slide has further to go.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Public opinion surveys conducted for the report show much of the world is already fearful that is happening.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Khanna said his office had been flooded with calls and emails as the mixed messaging left many local residents fearful.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
