hunted

1 5.6

Showing fear and always looking over their shoulder

adjective
/ˈhʌntɪd/

: asustado

Her hunted expression suggested she was constantly looking over her shoulder.

Examples

The child gave a quick, hunted glance before disappearing into the crowd.
Don't look so hunted!
He entered the room with a hunted look, as if expecting bad news.
She felt hunted by her past mistakes.
She had a hunted look in her eyes after hearing the unsettling news.
The cat scurried away with a hunted expression when the dog approached.
His voice was shaky, revealing a hunted anxiety about the situation.

Synonyms

frightened

vshunted

3 1.0

Being afraid because something seems dangerous

expresses fear that suggests being chased or under direct threat

intimidated

vshunted

3.7

Feeling afraid and not confident because someone seems scary

shows fear specifically as if being pursued or directly threatened

Antonyms

secure

117 3.6

Feeling confident and free from worry or doubt

Compounds

hunted person

6.6

A person who is being chased and may be caught or hurt

How Fearful

terrified

263 2.1

hunted

1 5.6

afraid

∞ 1.0

anxious

201 2.7

uneasy

98 3.2

Surface Forms

hunted positive

Morphology

hunted = hunt (transparent) = hunt + ed

A regular past-participle/adjectival formation from the verb 'hunt' meaning 'pursued' or 'being chased', so the adjectival sense 'showing fear as if being pursued' is directly derived.

Etymology

Hunted comes from the verb hunt, which means 'to chase'. It originally described being chased like an animal, so a 'hunted' look shows fear, as if someone thinks they are being followed or treated like prey.