stage fright

American  

noun

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

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stage fright British  

noun

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

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of stage fright

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The rapper and singer will.i.am has played hundreds of shows and sold millions of records, but his latest debut—as a professor of a college class about artificial intelligence—gave him stage fright.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

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

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

It seemed like she had a bad case of stage fright!

From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon