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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightened
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
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
See all Example Sentences for frightened 
Adjective
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
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
See all Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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In need of a way to raise funds, but afraid of the political consequences of implementing new taxes, state lawmakers opted to experiment with a lottery.Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
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Some children might regress to an earlier stage of development, becoming afraid of going to school and leaving their parents.Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The movie sees the revival of arch-villain Feathers McGraw, who terrified kids in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers.Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
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My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Read Next Florida Shelter thought dog was scared — but something else was wrong.Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
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Advertisement Thirty years ago, Blake was himself a scared kid.Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Thus, there’s little sense in getting spooked in the pre-Christmas months; when ad rates are negligible, the cost of doling out any necessary audience deficiency units isn’t exactly going to break the bank.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Dec. 2024
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The points deductions given to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season seem to have also spooked clubs into being extra cautious around PSR.Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Confused and more alarmed, Rippy walked toward Mack’s bedroom, reached in and found a light switch.Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
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Felecia, having once listened to a podcast that characterized the diagnosis as controversial, grew alarmed.Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And the art world is no different — some artists are using it to help generate work, and others are shocked by its capabilities.Lucy Handley, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
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Subway Violence Meanwhile, the incident is the latest in a series of high-profile crimes on New York subway trains that have shocked the city.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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His lack of regard for democratic and institutional norms is overlooked by a large part of the population, and certain friendly and fearful media players.Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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In the later stages of the disease, deer become starved, weak and less fearful of humans.Sophie Hartley, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near frightened
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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