TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

be scared vs become fearful

Both "be scared" and "become fearful" are correct phrases, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "Be scared" is more commonly used in everyday language to express a feeling of fear or anxiety, while "become fearful" is a more formal or literary way to describe the process of becoming afraid.

Last updated: March 19, 2024 • 757 views

be scared

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express fear or anxiety.

Use "be scared" when you want to convey a feeling of fear or anxiety. It is a common and natural way to express being afraid.

Examples:

I am scared of spiders.
Don't be scared, I'm here to help you.
She was scared to go into the dark room.
Are you scared of heights?
The loud noise made him scared.

Show examples from the web [+]

to be very frightened. be scared/bored witless. Add to my wordlist. jump to other results. (informal) to be extremely frightened or bored See related entries: Stupid, ...
Fables by Aesop View in context. Would you be scared to go down the Corbury road with me on a night like this? Ethan Frome by Wharton, Edith View in context.
“Just because you're scarred for life doesn't mean you should be scared to live.” ... You don't have to be scared to lose someone, when there's no one around to ...
Can't be scared when it goes down, Got you problem · Chicken (scared) ... Don't Scary [don't be scared] - grammar feel fear/ be scared/afraid - grammar

Alternatives:

feel scared
be afraid
be frightened
be terrified
be petrified

become fearful

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in everyday language. It is more formal or literary.

Use "become fearful" in more formal or literary contexts when you want to describe the process of becoming afraid. It is a more sophisticated way to express fear.

Examples:

As the storm approached, she became fearful of the strong winds.
He became fearful of the unknown dangers lurking in the shadows.
The eerie silence made the travelers become fearful of what might be hiding in the darkness.
The sudden change in his behavior made her become fearful of his intentions.
The strange noises in the old house made them become fearful of ghosts.

Show examples from the web [+]

There are three reasons that pets become fearful in multiple situations. Basic Temperament Of The Pet: Some pets are just wired more fearful than others.
Nov 1, 2011 ... Most typically, we find dogs that are afraid of loud noises, such as thunderstorms and fireworks, but also they can become fearful of children, ...
If punishment continues, he might start to become fearful.Fear leads to attempts to escape the source of the punishment (you or that particular environment).
Q. My dog has suddenly become fearful, he is so fearful now that just taking him out to go potty is a hassle. He tries to back out of his collar and run away. Do you ...

Alternatives:

start to fear
grow afraid
develop a sense of fear
turn fearful
begin to feel scared

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!