scared

UK: skeəd | US: skerd

Definition

  1. adj. feeling fear or anxiety; frightened

  2. adj. (informal) extremely worried or nervous

Structure
scare <to frighten>ed <adjective suffix (past participle)>
Etymology

The word "scared" originates from the Old Norse word skirra (to frighten), which influenced Middle English skerren (to scare). The suffix -ed marks it as a past participle, turning the verb "scare" into an adjective describing the state of being frightened. The evolution reflects a straightforward shift from action ("to scare") to result ("scared").

Examples

  1. She was too scared to enter the dark room alone.

  2. The loud thunder scared the little dog.

  3. He looked scared when he heard the unexpected noise.

  4. Don’t be scared—it’s just a harmless spider.

  5. The horror movie left her feeling scared for hours.