frightened feeling worried because you might get hurt or because something bad might happen:
I was too frightened to say anything.
Many animals are frightened of fireworks.
Frightened residents called the police as the gang started throwing bricks.scared [not before noun] especially spoken frightened.
Scared is less formal than
frightened and is the usual word to use in everyday English:
I’m scared of dogs.
Old people are too scared to go out of their homes.afraid [not before noun] frightened.
Afraid sounds more formal than
frightened or
scared:
Children are often afraid of the dark.
I was afraid that I might say the wrong thing.alarmed frightened and worried that something bad might happen:
She was alarmed at the thought of performing in front of an audience.
Alarmed passengers spotted fuel leaking from the plane.fearful formal frightened that something bad might happen:
They are fearful of another terrorist attack.
He was fearful that he might make another mistake.
a fearful panicterrified very frightened:
He looked terrified as the plane took off.
James was absolutely terrified of losing his only child.
He dragged the terrified woman into his car.petrified very frightened – used especially when you are so frightened that you cannot think or move:
She’s absolutely petrified of spiders.scared stiff/scared to death informal very frightened:
I had to make a speech, and I was scared stiff.
She was scared to death of her father.in terror written if you do something in terror, you do it because you are very frightened:
People fled in terror as the building went up in flames. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲