fright
Americannoun
-
sudden and extreme fear; a sudden terror.
- Synonyms:
- alarm, consternation, dismay
-
a person or thing of shocking, grotesque, or ridiculous appearance.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
sudden intense fear or alarm
-
a sudden alarming shock
-
informal a horrifying, grotesque, or ludicrous person or thing
she looks a fright in that hat
-
to become frightened
verb
Related Words
See terror.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fright
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English frytu, fyrhto; akin to German Furcht
Explanation
Fright is a feeling of fear, dread, or terror. You might scream in fright while watching a scary movie or riding a roller coaster. Some fright is so intense that it makes you jump; other fright is caused by anticipating something vaguely scary, like a trip to the dentist or an encounter with your mean neighbor after your baseball breaks her window. Although it's old fashioned, you can also use fright as a verb, to mean "cause fear." The Old English root of fright is fyrhtu, "fear, dread, trembling, or horrible sight."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Uchiyama, who has interpreted for Japanese directors such as Ryusuke Hamaguchi, used to think she had stage fright — even though she once fronted a punk band.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
From an early age, Small suffered debilitating stage fright.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
O’Brien, in fright makeup and wig, looked like Aunt Gladys, the orange-haired witch in the horror movie “Weapons.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
Robbie has spoken openly about suffering from stage fright in the past, experiencing terror before walking on stage.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
The poor Earthworm began to quiver all over with fright.
From "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
