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.

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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. )

Example Sentences

When asked about the differing accounts he gave in police interviews, he said he lied because he was scared.

From BBC

“It’s easy to get scared out of the market when volatility arrives, so those investors who keep this pattern in mind should be more confident holding on through the tough times.”

From Barron's

"In my opinion, it's him that these women should be scared of."

From BBC

When Catherine Duncan’s mother-in-law was dying of pancreatic cancer years ago, she was anxious, scared and deeply sad.

From The Wall Street Journal

Throughout, he said, he and his wife kept calling each other, anxious and scared.

From BBC

Related Words

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