stage fright

American  

noun

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

---

stage fright British  

noun

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

---

stage fright Idioms  

1. 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

From an early age, Small suffered debilitating stage fright.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Here, she discusses the jazz warm-up she’s used for decades, dealing with stage fright and loving the divas she plays.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Anisimova was overcome by stage fright when she reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last month, losing 6-0 6-0 in only 57 minutes against Poland's Iga Swiatek.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

Obviously, he never got something as lame as stage fright.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman