Synonyms

frightened

American

[frahyt-nd] / ˈfraɪt nd /

adjective

thrown into a fright; afraid; scared; terrified.

a frightened child cowering in the corner.
afraid; fearful (usually followed byof ).

He has always been frightened of heights.

Related Words

See afraid.

Other Word Forms

frightenedly adverb
unfrightened adjective
well-frightened adjective

Etymology

Origin of frightened

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

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.

Mullen said her two children, aged two and 14, are frightened to go outside.

From BBC

Unfortunately, the way I acted really frightened people, although it was really just me who was scared.

From MarketWatch

"Despite the ceasefire, we dare not return home yet. We are still frightened," she told AFP.

From Barron's

Ms Dodsworth added that her family "would be on eggshells" around Wignall whenever they came over, "because they were frightened of him too".

From BBC

“To see him turned into this frightened, unsure, self-conscious human being, it wasn’t him.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023