What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
frightened
Example
She was frightened by the loud noise. [frightened: verb]
Example
The frightened child clung to her mother's leg. [frightened: adjective]
scared
Example
I'm scared of spiders. [scared: adjective]
Example
He scared me when he jumped out from behind the door. [scared: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Scared is more commonly used than frightened in everyday language. Scared is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while frightened is less common and tends to be used in more formal settings.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between frightened and scared?
Frightened is more formal than scared, which is more commonly used in informal contexts. However, both words can be used in various formality levels depending on the context.
