Related Words
See afraid.
Other Word Forms
- frightenedly adverb
- unfrightened adjective
- well-frightened adjective
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.
"Any mention of transfusions brings me back to being that frightened child, sitting alone in my room, trying to make sense of a choice that felt impossible," she said.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
Turning to his anxious helmsman, Pericles took his cloak and held it in front of the man’s eyes, asking if this made him frightened.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
She said the closure of shops was a "massive shame", adding: "They might have lost quite a lot of money from that. A lot of the staff are very frightened."
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Official L.A., anxious to mollify angry and frightened Angelenos, dropped the hammer on a plant near downtown L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Natalie grabbed the sill of the high window from the outside and pulled herself up—easier now that the water was higher—and saw her mother’s frightened face.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
