Word
frightened
Phoneticsfright·ened, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɹaɪtənd/
UK/fɹˈaɪtənd/
Definition
adj. feeling fear or worry because you think something bad might happen.
adj. experiencing fear or anxiety; often used to describe a temporary state caused by a specific event or object.
Examples
“The loud thunder made the children feel frightened.”
“She was too frightened to walk through the dark park alone at night.”
“Frightened by the sudden drop in the stock market, many small investors sold their shares immediately, fearing a total economic collapse.”
Examples
simple
“The loud thunder made the children feel frightened.”
contextual
“She was too frightened to walk through the dark park alone at night.”
complex
“Frightened by the sudden drop in the stock market, many small investors sold their shares immediately, fearing a total economic collapse.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “frightened” in context.
Verb
01. become frightened
“The horses became frightened by the loud thunder and started to run.”
verb + adj
02. look frightened
“The little boy looked frightened when he saw the large dog barking at him.”
verb + adj
03. sound frightened
“She sounded frightened on the phone, so I went to her house immediately.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. frightened by the noise
“The birds were frightened by the noise and flew away into the trees.”
adj + prep
05. frightened of spiders
“I have always been frightened of spiders, even the small ones.”
adj + prep
06. frightened to speak
“The witness was frightened to speak in front of the judge.”
adj + infinitive
07. terribly frightened
“We were terribly frightened when the lights suddenly went out in the basement.”
adv + adj
Usage
Commonly followed by the preposition 'of' or 'by'.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse '-ed' and '-ing' adjectives; remind them that 'frightened' is the internal feeling.
Pitfall
The 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.
Confusables
Frightened describes the person feeling the emotion, while frightening describes the thing that causes the emotion.
RememberFrightened = Feeling; Frightening = Feature.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/frightened