frightened

adjective

fright·​ened ˈfrī-tᵊnd 

: feeling fear : made to feel afraid

a badly frightened child

The farmer was hurrying out into the road, and his wife was standing at the gate, looking very frightened.

—Anna Sewell

Synonyms

• affrighted
• afraid
• aghast
• alarmed
• fearful
• horrified
• horror-struck
• hysterical
• hysteric
• scared
• scary
• shocked
• spooked
• terrified
• terrorized

Examples of frightened in a Sentence

I am frightened of the dark

Recent Examples on the Web

James Giordano, a neurobiology researcher at Georgetown University Medical Center, says getting frightened triggers a specific response in the human body. —Jennifer Stavros, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024

Affected businesses can lose money or go bankrupt, because frightened customers choose to dine elsewhere. —Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Halloween attractions company America Haunts estimates that Americans spend upward of US$500 million annually on haunted house entrance fees simply for the privilege of being frightened. —Sarah Kollat, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024

Be frightened and surprised at the Redford Theatre's Festival of Darkness, a 90-minute compilation of horror short films. —Annalise Frank, Axios, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of frighten

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing frightened

• scared/frightened the dickens