scared

American  

[skaird] / skɛərd /

adjective

1. filled with fear, terror, or dread, often suddenly; frightened; alarmed.

   The doctor provided not only physical treatment but also moral guidance for scared patients with terminal diagnoses.

   I came into college as a scared freshman and left as a confident, competent adult.

---

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of scare.

Other Word Forms

• unscared
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of scared

scare ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Have you ever gone into a dark room and heard something scurrying across the floor and felt your pulse quicken and your heart race? You were scared — afraid. When you are scared, you are frightened or alarmed. It can be a momentary thing: hearing a car screech outside your house and worrying that your dog just got hit. It can be longer: you might be scared for weeks or months after a medical diagnosis. While the verb is usually associated with a single person or small group, you might also apply it more generally: a fast-moving tornado could have scared a whole town.

Example Sentences

But now is the right time simply because I'm not scared anymore.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Police are investigating two recent home burglaries in Los Angeles in which the thieves were confronted by witnesses or scared off by home alarms.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

“I was looking out—something on the outside of the bed had tapped me,” he said, adding that he wasn’t scared because the presence didn’t feel hostile.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

This, Dr. Becky emphasizes, is the work: becoming that “sturdy pilot” who can let their passengers know: “I believe your intense feelings. I’m not scared of them.”

From Slate • May 10, 2026

The way Old Rowdy was sniffing and looking, I couldn’t tell whether he was mad or scared.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• afraid
• anxious
• fearful
• panicked
• panicky
• startled