frightened

adjective

fright·​ened ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
: 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

Examples of frightened in a Sentence

I am frightened of the dark
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 At worst, this could lead to one or more Kent State-type incidents, with frightened Guardsmen in hostile, unfamiliar territory. Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024 Don't be too frightened by those long lines on the final day of early voting. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024 As the far right gets more and more emboldened, these things are going to become more and more common, people are going to be more and more frightened. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for frightened 

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of frighten

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightened was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near frightened

Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightened. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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