frightened
- 01 A2 Elementary
feeling fear or worry because you think something bad might happen.
experiencing fear or anxiety; often used to describe a temporary state caused by a specific event or object.
Simple“The little boy was frightened of the loud thunder during the storm.”
In context“Frightened by the sudden movement in the shadows, the hikers decided to turn back toward the safety of the campsite.”
UsageCommonly followed by the preposition 'of' or 'by'.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse '-ed' and '-ing' adjectives; remind them that 'frightened' is the internal feeling.
PitfallThe movie was very frightened. The movie was very frightening.Use 'frightened' to describe how a person feels. Use 'frightening' to describe the thing that causes the fear.
frightened vs frightening — Frightened describes the person feeling the emotion, while frightening describes the thing that causes the emotion.