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
Synonym Usage
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.
Halloween is almost here and that means spooky costumes, haunted attractions and hordes of teens going to Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2024
"There are no werewolves in Tom Holland's 1985 film Fright Night," wrote journalist Adam Ward.
From Salon • Nov. 17, 2022
Night Fright flew two missions on D-Day in 1944 and was hit more than 100 times.
From BBC • Jan. 5, 2022
Flock Fright plans to open a new office in Chicago later this year.
From Reuters • Oct. 20, 2021
Isabella thought that maybe we should go to Fright by Night at Six Flags.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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.
