SCARED Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

scared 1 of 2

adjective

ˈskerd

Definition of scared

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scared

2 of 2

verb

past tense of scare

as in frightened

to strike with fear thunderstorms have always scared her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scared

Adjective

Most of the world was fumbling and scared, and Fauci seemed to have some idea of what to do. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026 The dog, named Roo, was not injured, just scared, according to the animal shelter. — Kat Filardi, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026

Verb

But the Thunder, who remain $14 million above the luxury-tax line, did not trade Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe because the second-apron roster-building restrictions scared them. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Running into the real Santosh again amid that backdrop, Juyal asked him if the danger scared him. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scared

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared

Adjective

And many of them weren’t afraid to make that known on social media.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The logic is that if colleges are afraid to sign a player out of fear of retaliation, the player won’t receive the benefits of Judge Sweeney’s order granting the injunction.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of afraid

Verb

Fig, a dog from Tulare County, disappeared after becoming frightened by fireworks and gunfire during Fourth of July celebrations, according to authorities.

— Denis Akbari, USA Today, 22 July 2026
Fig, an Australian shepherd, ran away from home after getting frightened by July Fourth fireworks.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026

Definition of frightened

Adjective

During the attack, terrified students huddled together under their desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, video filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
At a news conference, Twin Falls police released dramatic surveillance video that showed terrified employees diving for cover and shielding one another.

— Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrified

Verb

Witness Hoon Chan Sim, 53, was sitting on a park lawn with his dog near West Drive when he was startled by the squeal of braking tires, and spun around to see the horrific collision.

— Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Wildlife experts say black bears are strong climbers and may scale trees, utility poles or other tall structures when startled by people, traffic or dogs.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of startled

Adjective

In one early scene, a horrified Pam stares into her bathroom mirror, covered head to toe in blood.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
The first police officer on the scene quickly ran back to the station for help, while neighbors calmed the horrified Lizzie.

— Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 June 2026

Definition of horrified

Adjective

Owens immediately went after Balor and Gunther while Zayn stood in the ring shocked.

— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
But the night went from spooky to spellbinding when the stars of the beloved 1998 fantasy film revealed themselves to the shocked crowd of fans.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocked

Adjective

People leaders are increasingly fearful that AI is putting them out of a job, as the number of people working in employment services is down.

— Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Even Haitians who have been naturalized or hold green cards are keeping a low profile, fearful of being caught in an immigration raid.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of fearful

Browse Nearby Words

scare

scared

scared up

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scared

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on scared

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gnomic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes