frightened

[ frahyt-nd ]

adjective

1. thrown into a fright; afraid; scared; terrified:

   a frightened child cowering in the corner.

2. afraid; fearful (usually followed by of ):

   He has always been frightened of heights.

Other Words From

• frightened·ly adverb
• un·frightened adjective
• well-frightened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frightened¹

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

Synonym Study

See afraid.

Example Sentences

"But Callum said 'dad, I'm not frightened of bullies and what's going on in Ukraine is awful and someone needs to stand up for these people'."

From BBC

President-elect Donald Trump’s win after a virulently anti-transgender campaign has left many queer and transgender people especially frightened about the future.

From Los Angeles Times

"I actually ran from the car, but it was the racism and the hate in the guy's face that really frightened me," she said.

From BBC

“I was frightened of her,” June later recalled.

From BBC

Americans are right to be frightened and disillusioned by the resurgence of a man who ran on racism and sexism.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afraid
• anxious
• fearful
• panicky
• spooked
• startled
• unnerved