horror-struck

adjective

ˈhȯr-ər-ˌstrək How to pronounce horror-struck (audio)
Definition of horror-strucknext
as in frightened
filled with fear or dread horror-struck, the villagers watched helplessly as the tsunami hit the shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horror-struck Other people were horror-struck by the verdicts in each of these cases, seeing them as a catastrophic failure of the American system of justice. — Susan Shelley, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror-struck
  1. frightened
  2. terrified
  3. afraid
  4. scared
  5. horrified
  6. shocked
  7. alarmed
  8. fearful
Adjective
  • Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Even after the attacker was restrained, passengers remained terrified.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This kind of conversation always leaves me half-amused, half-terrified.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • Opt for a dark wash without rips and frays to keep the look streamlined, but don't be afraid to play with proportions and have fun with patterns and texture.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Measure What Customers Do After The Test Pick five to eight people who already trust you and aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • The move comes after years of criticism from animal rights advocates who charge that the horses are overworked, get easily scared and live in inadequate stables with drivers flouting city regulations.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Older riders, who once sold important organs to buy in-line fours, are now too old and too scared to even care what 14,000rpm in top means on an in-line four.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Gomez, 67, recalled, watching as responding officers pulled a horrified boy from the car.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrified
Adjective
  • When people hear of their upstairs-downstairs arrangement, no one is shocked.
    — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Garret said the community as a whole was supportive of their decision to protest, even if their team was a little shocked at first.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Sacramento City Unified School District’s multiyear projections to address its fiscal crisis relied on revenue assumptions that alarmed fiscal overseers.
    — Chaewon Chung Updated October 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Annual interest expenses will be well over $6 billion, a level that has alarmed deal critics.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • But in an edited video put out by the White House that showed her march to the podium, set to pickup-truck-commercial music, Zacharia appeared visibly fearful.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Some online have pledged to never ride a roller coaster again, too fearful of the unimaginable horror of falling out.
    — Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fearful

Browse Nearby Words

horror shows
horror-struck
hors d'oeuvre
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Cite this Entry

“Horror-struck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror-struck. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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