Synonyms

stage fright

American

noun

nervousness felt by a performer or speaker when appearing before an audience.

stage fright British

noun

nervousness or panic that may beset a person about to appear in front of an audience

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

stage fright Idioms

Acute nervousness when performing or speaking before an audience, as in When John first had to present his findings to the board of directors, stage fright made him stutter. [Second half of 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of stage fright

First recorded in 1875–80

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.

See Examples For:

stage fright

In those interviews, he talked about battling stage fright, and the difficulties of balancing touring commitments with family life.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Even better, she’s worked through her stage fright.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

Robbie has spoken openly about suffering from stage fright in the past, experiencing terror before walking on stage.

From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026

In a memoir, “Don’t Block the Blessings,” LaBelle credits Brown for curing her stage fright.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

More time for us to develop stage fright.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023