as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
I am frightened of the dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of frightened
D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Halloween attractions company America Haunts estimates Americans are spending upward of US$500 million annually on haunted house entrance fees simply for the privilege of being frightened.
—Sarah Kollat, The Conversation, 18 Oct. 2024
Peterson texted family photos of flooding The Peterson family’s lawsuit paints a picture of increasingly frightened and desperate workers, fearing their efforts to escape the flooding were already too late.
—Andy Rose, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
While some kids prefer spooky scenes, those easily frightened won’t soon forget.
—Nafeesah Allen, Parents, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frightened 
Adjective
For the first time, families of victims could receive public consolation for their loss, rather than feel frightened and isolated.
—D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Halloween attractions company America Haunts estimates Americans are spending upward of US$500 million annually on haunted house entrance fees simply for the privilege of being frightened.
—Sarah Kollat, The Conversation, 18 Oct. 2024
Peterson texted family photos of flooding The Peterson family’s lawsuit paints a picture of increasingly frightened and desperate workers, fearing their efforts to escape the flooding were already too late.
—Andy Rose, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
While some kids prefer spooky scenes, those easily frightened won’t soon forget.
—Nafeesah Allen, Parents, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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Many Americans are afraid of what the aftermath of the election could bring.Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
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By its conception, AI does not make mistakes, does not take bribes and is not afraid of anything.Oleksandr Sheremeta, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But Hurricane Helene’s torrential rains, which caused deadly landslides and floods, left Carolyn terrified.John Bacon, USA TODAY, 4 Oct. 2024
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And yet, the Menendez brothers want Netflix viewers to know that they were terrified about speaking out about their father.Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Two of the biggest forces in all of Hollywood are joining forces, and everyone should be scared.Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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Most on each side are scared, not just concerned, if the other side wins, and while most voters express confidence this election is being conducted fairly and accurately, Harris voters are more confident than Trump voters are.Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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On Monday Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spooked investors in mid-afternoon trading, cautioning that although more rate cuts are coming, the central bank does not have a preset path.Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
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Global markets reacted in wildly negative fashion, a sell-off that spooked Ueda.William Pesek, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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As Erik becomes more worked up, an alarmed Oziel calls Lyle in, and Lyle threatens to kill Oziel.Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 20 Sep. 2024
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But the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, did not seem alarmed or even particularly surprised by the apocalyptic rhetoric.Simon Shuster, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Take the quiz here … DIGITAL NEWS QUIZ – Russia shocked the US near which state?Fox News, Fox News, 4 Oct. 2024
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Parents of students at Markle Middle School told local outlets they were shocked to learn that the district had installed windows in bathrooms, pushing back against Gelazela’s claim that students’ privacy rights were not affected.Samantha Riedel, Them, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The collapse of social and economic order in Myanmar is watched carefully by its neighbors, fearful that instability will spill over.Koh Ewe, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
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The research provides a counterbalance to the rhetoric that employees are fearful of new AI tools replacing them and keen not to see their employers adopt the technology.Alena Botros, Fortune Europe, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near frightened
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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