as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scared
Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Meadows stated that Jordan was scared.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2025
Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 2 Jan. 2026
Still others will stay home, scared to go to work — particularly in cities hit hard by raids.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
Nick Beerling discovered a small, scared puppy sitting on top of a pile of trash.
—Verb
The hikers scared the lion away by throwing rocks and then attended to the adult woman, the release said.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
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The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
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From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Verb
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And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.—
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Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.—
Adjective
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Understandably terrified, Scott-Miller closed the store to protect her and her family’s safety and peace of mind.—
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When workers are terrified, turnover rises, productivity falls and long-term investment stalls.—
Verb
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Authorities in southern Colorado are investigating after a sudden explosion damaged a building and startled nearby residents.—
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Leibfried was responding to a report of a domestic disturbance in the building and was startled by a loud bang that emanated from the closed door of an apartment.—
Adjective
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Yang plays Kieran Culkin’s stand-in, his arms nightmarishly chainsawed off as Ashley Padilla’s Catherine O’Hara equivalent lets out a series of horrified shrieks.—
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Then her old, extremely offensive X posts resurfaced—and the buzz turned to horrified backlash.—
Adjective
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The mom of two could be seen typing and looking animatedly at her screen, appearing shocked.—
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Fans on social media are mostly excited (and a little shocked) at this latest bakery item.—
Adjective
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The Kurds became even more fearful of losing their rights after government forces massacred minority Alawites and Druze in fighting throughout 2025.—
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Abbie was cold and very fearful when the officers found her, and she was later found to have suffered a hip injury that will require surgery, police and rescuers said.—
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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