Synonym Usage
See afraid.
Other Word 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.
A major incident was declared near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, after dozens of homes were evacuated and roads closed, while residents near a blaze in south Wales said they were "frightened".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Once inside her childhood home, Annie was frightened by what she found—her mother’s purse and iPhone, items Nancy always kept close at hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
"We are frightened about the impact on Bordeaux and the metropolitan area," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“I played that like she was genuinely frightened because she was caught off-guard,” Morton says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Wolf was so frightened that he wanted to howl.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
