frightened

[frahyt-nd]

adjective

1. thrown into a fright; afraid; scared; terrified.

   a frightened child cowering in the corner.

2. afraid; fearful (usually followed byof ).

   He has always been frightened of heights.

Other Word Forms

• frightenedly adverb
• unfrightened adjective
• well-frightened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frightened¹

First recorded in 1715–25; frighten + -ed ²

Synonym Study

See afraid.

Example Sentences

The hearing was told the women were left "shocked", "numb", and "frightened" by Richard's actions.

Read more on BBC

But the mass arrests and fears of deportation turned the Fashion District into a ghost town for several weeks after, with storefronts shuttered and frightened workers staying home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I also learned that if you can figure out how to say a hard thing to someone so that they’re not insulted or frightened, then everybody’s better.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Clients — frightened by the raids — were staying away.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“One,” Cassiopeia squeaked, for although she was frightened, she could never resist a math problem.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• afraid 
• anxious 
• fearful 
• panicky www.thesaurus.com
• spooked www.thesaurus.com
• startled 
• unnerved www.thesaurus.com