as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of scared
Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Some are scared their Social Security and Medicaid benefits will be taken away.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
The educator is attuned to the child and notices if a child becomes overly frustrated, sad or scared and pivots to address the child’s needs.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Most lawyers will be too scared of retaliation to even bring lawsuits challenging Trump’s actions.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
More: 'Dire effects': How federal cuts at tribal colleges leave students 'scared and worried'
Trump has called the protesters antisemitic and has labeled them as sympathetic to Hamas militants and as foreign policy threats.
—Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Some are scared their Social Security and Medicaid benefits will be taken away.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
The educator is attuned to the child and notices if a child becomes overly frustrated, sad or scared and pivots to address the child’s needs.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
Most lawyers will be too scared of retaliation to even bring lawsuits challenging Trump’s actions.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
-
And most importantly, surround yourself with other women who think big, talk money openly, and aren’t afraid to build serious wealth.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Will Poulter has never been afraid to get rough on screen and the same apparently applies to his work process as well.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The family is frightened, but the soldiers aren’t there to terrorize them.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Financial markets have crashed, consumers are frightened, and deals are paralyzed.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The model's celebrity friends were equally shocked at the haircut.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
In post-match interviews, Pochettino sometimes seemed almost shocked at the lack of effort from his squad and suggested, vaguely at least, that other players would be brought in to replace underperforming ones should the issue continue.—
Pablo Maurer,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Military leaders fearful of losing their jobs or of being marginalized will have few incentives to advise their superiors on the risks or costs of military operations that are at odds with the Trump administration’s priorities.—
Risa Brooks,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Historically, a company that is fearful about its cash generation in the near term probably wouldn’t be authorizing a new repurchase program.—
Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In Maryland, though, some lawmakers have grown alarmed at the potential fallout.—
Amanda Hernandez,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Europe is alarmed at what the loss of America’s democratic leadership means for stability and progress around the world.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share