Synonym Usage
See afraid.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of frightened
Explanation
Someone who's frightened is scared or anxious. A frightened camper might tremble with fear as she listens to the scary campfire stories her counselor tells. When you're frightened, you feel fearful — you might be frightened of thunderstorms or frightened of strange dogs. A frightened airplane passenger might panic and cause other people to become frightened. The adjective comes from frighten — before the 1660s, the verb was instead fright. All of these words share an Old English root, fyrhtu, "fear, dread, trembling, or horrible sight."
Vocabulary lists containing frightened
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Yikes! Synonyms for "Scared"
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People are frustrated, frightened and angry about homelessness “and the crime associated with it,” Ron said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
"I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never," Jill Biden told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
"I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never," she told "CBS News Sunday Morning" as part of an interview airing this weekend.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
They assumed it sensed danger, but it was actually steering them: They blundered into a goose nest, scattering the frightened adults.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Alex stumbles back with a frightened squeak and lands flat on his back.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
