fright

[ frahyt ]

noun

1. sudden and extreme fear; a sudden terror.

   Synonyms: alarm, consternation, dismay

2. a person or thing of shocking, grotesque, or ridiculous appearance.

verb (used with object)

1. to frighten.

fright

/ fraɪt /

noun

1. sudden intense fear or alarm
2. a sudden alarming shock
3. informal.
   a horrifying, grotesque, or ludicrous person or thing

   she looks a fright in that hat

4. take fright
   to become frightened

verb

1. a poetic word for frighten

Other Words From

• self-frighted adjective
• un·frighted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fright¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English frytu, fyrhto; akin to German Furcht

Word History and Origins

Origin of fright¹

Old English fryhto ; related to Gothic faurhtei , Old Frisian fruchte , Old High German forhta

Synonym Study

See terror.

Example Sentences

“They don’t remember how paralyzed with fright the nation was the week after Three Mile Island. ... They don’t recall the shock of Chernobyl less than seven years later.”

From Los Angeles Times

And lots of fright fans don’t limit their horror entertainment to spooky season, gorging horror movies, shows and books all year long.

From Salon

The mood is macabre throughout, with spooky sounds and music and a cloudy palette so that there are few bright, normal moments to measure the surreal frights against.

From Los Angeles Times

If the vice-president was hoping for a burst of last minute good news to quell any stage fright, she didn’t get it.

From BBC

"But the birds can get such a fright that they just fly, and they will fly into windows or walls just trying to get away and that’s how they die. And it’s awful."

From BBC

Related Words

• consternation
• dismay
• horror
• panic
• trepidation