frightened

adjective

fright·​ened ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
: feeling fear : made to feel afraid
a badly frightened child
The farmer was hurrying out into the road, and his wife was standing at the gate, looking very frightened.Anna Sewell

Examples of frightened in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not a frightened superstar who would publicly lie about a gambling addiction to save his skin. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 The trailer shows Keaton terrorizing a frightened looking townsperson who keeps insisting the ghost in front of him is an illusion. Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024 In the stand of trees, wounded and frightened Russians were probably crying out. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024 Solar eclipses have captivated or frightened humankind for millennia. Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 6 Apr. 2024 Coatsworth’s three-legged cocker spaniel, Tubby, was the disaster’s only casualty: Though a bystander tried to grab the dog from the reporter’s car, the frightened pup nipped at his hand, leading the would-be rescuer to abandon his efforts. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024 Above all, as Haiti approaches a total collapse of its political institutions, many people in South Florida feel frightened and helpless as family members at home try to stay safe from the chaos and violence. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 For instance, dogs that are frightened may attempt to flee, fight, fret and fidget, or freeze. Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Park visitors, including children, are visibly frightened. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frightened.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of frighten

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightened was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near frightened

Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightened. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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