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.
The eruption of an Icelandic volcano kept some artists from getting to the festival, including The Cribs and Frightened Rabbit.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
Frightened and not knowing where to go, they hastily took cover under the steps of a villa whose owners had themselves left everything on the table and hurried off.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
Frightened people jostled their way on, leaving tearful goodbyes on the platform with those staying to fight.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
That episode, "Self-Help for Frightened Liberals," is well worth your time.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2023
Frightened almost—as though she were a World Controller and he a Gamma-Minus machine minder.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
