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
Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
As the fighting ramped up in September, with daily missile barrages on the entire north, people were terrified of driving, fearing they’d be caught on the roads without shelter.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2024
Several subway riders testified they were terrified Neely was going to attack and they were relieved when Penny put him in a chokehold and kept him there.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
My Unsung Hero She was terrified waiting for surgery.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
To put that into context, people are terrified of aging or miserable in their bodies.
—Essence, 5 Dec. 2024
Before his arrest, witnesses in the case were terrified to come forward, but that will change now that Williams is in custody, Holloway said.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
An appointment with a fertility specialist left her feeling terrified after being confronted with the data on fertility rates for women in their 40s.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
The thought of it terrified her.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
Although conditions in Malibu may not be among the worst firefighters have seen, the Franklin fire has torched several vehicles and left residents who had to flee terrified.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
As the fighting ramped up in September, with daily missile barrages on the entire north, people were terrified of driving, fearing they’d be caught on the roads without shelter.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2024
Several subway riders testified they were terrified Neely was going to attack and they were relieved when Penny put him in a chokehold and kept him there.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
My Unsung Hero She was terrified waiting for surgery.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
To put that into context, people are terrified of aging or miserable in their bodies.
—Essence, 5 Dec. 2024
Before his arrest, witnesses in the case were terrified to come forward, but that will change now that Williams is in custody, Holloway said.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
An appointment with a fertility specialist left her feeling terrified after being confronted with the data on fertility rates for women in their 40s.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
The thought of it terrified her.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
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His fervor to determine who took the weapon reveals a shockingly monstrous side, turning his wife and children into frightened suspects and leading to a jarring tonal-shift ending that proves to be a cathartic, believable final destination for a film simmering with mistrust and anger.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
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At worst, this could lead to one or more Kent State-type incidents, with frightened Guardsmen in hostile, unfamiliar territory.Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid.Devna Bose and John Seewer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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Expect lowball offers to come in here and there—and don't be deterred by them or afraid to turn them down.Michael Gargiulo, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That evening, in the no man’s land, a field strewn with empty water bottles, four Shia families sat on a picnic blanket around a burner attached to a gas tank, looking scared and drinking yerba mate.Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2024
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Once glued to their hiding spot, a scared cat may not come out when called by its owner.Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Steffens — who looked shocked — said while smiling widely.Toria Sheffield, People.com, 9 Dec. 2024
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Binoche is the more unabashedly open of the two; at times, Fiennes seems shocked and sweetly shy in response to her candor.Rachel Handler, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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From his second-floor office in the Scurry County Courthouse, Hicks told the Abilene Reporter-News, part of the USA TODAY Network, workers in the building became alarmed during a5.0 quake Friday, which hit at 9:28 a.m. local time.Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 31 July 2024
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Treasury aides who had once labored in obscurity took recommendations directly to Cabinet officials, who were simultaneously hearing from alarmed Fortune 500 CEOs and the heads of Wall Street banks.Federica Cocco, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
Adjective
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Nguyen said that in the wake of this nationwide trend, the Asian community is fearful but is coming together and taking extra precautions to be safe.Deena Zaru, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
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Insiders expect a short-term funding bill that kicks the spending battle to early next year, although Republican senators are fearful that chaos in the House could derail Trump’s agenda.Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near terrified
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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