Showing results for "scared"

• past tense form of scare.
• past participle of scare.

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

Nowadays, rather than being scared by Nikki’s behavior, a wave of young women are bonding on social media over their similarities with her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

"We're still a little scared," Aliah, who has a green card, told the BBC.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

I don’t know what to do and I’m scared of making a huge financial mistake.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026

“What we saw in the ’90s, I’m scared that it will repeat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026

“Oh, I’m sure they were plenty scared, Lala. But they did what had to be done because the movement was bigger than their fears.”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

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