Synonyms: Scared

Whether it's a creepy spider or a horror movie, this list has just the right word to describe any frightening situation and the fearful reaction it may inspire. For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. aghast
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    With faces aghast, the four children gaped at the man, and then at one another, for they saw at once that Mr. Curtain was Mr. Benedict himself. The Mysterious Benedict Society
    Gást means "ghost" in Old English, so if you're aghast, you look like you've seen a ghost: stunned and terrified.
  2. alarm
    fear resulting from the awareness of danger
    In the old days the springs sometimes ran low and no one worried, but now everything seemed to cause alarm. Island of the Blue Dolphins
  3. anxious
    causing or fraught with or showing nervousness
    Samwell Tarly awaited them in the old stables, slumped on the ground against a bale of hay, too anxious to sleep. A Game of Thrones
    Anxius means "worried" or "distressed" in Latin. Anxiety is a nervous fear.
  4. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    None of us knows where we are headed, and I think that except for the very youngest, each of us is apprehensive and fearful. Orphan Train
  5. cower
    show submission or fear
    He shook and cowered, covering his face with his hands. The Girl Who Drank the Moon
    If you're frightened and you crouch down, covering your head with your hands, that's cowering.
  6. dread
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    He dreaded what would happen if the decision were left to one of the fair’s many committees. The Devil in the White City
    Dread is a deep, terrible fear of something that may happen in the future.
  7. frightened
    made afraid
    I was so frightened that it was hard for me to breathe. The Cay
  8. nervous
    of or relating to a system of sensory apparatus
    By July, I hadn’t heard anything from Caitlin or Anne, and I was starting to get nervous. I Will Always Write Back
  9. petrify
    cause to become stunned or immobile, as with fear or awe
    The soldiers, petrified with fear, froze where they were. The BFG
    To petrify something is to turn it into stone. So if you're petrified with fear, you're paralyzed, stunned, immobilized with fright.
  10. terrified
    thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
    They looked terrified to be on the same field as the fearsome War Eagles. Tangerine
    Terrere means "to frighten" in Latin. Besides terrified, it's also the root of terror and terrible.
Created on Fri Feb 19 11:37:49 EST 2021 (updated Mon Mar 22 17:50:55 EDT 2021)

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