fright 1 of 2

fright

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fright distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fright are alarm, dread, fear, panic, terror, and trepidation. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

When is it sensible to use alarm instead of fright?

In some situations, the words alarm and fright are roughly equivalent. However, alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

In what contexts can dread take the place of fright?

The words dread and fright can be used in similar contexts, but dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

When can fear be used instead of fright?

The synonyms fear and fright are sometimes interchangeable, but fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

When could panic be used to replace fright?

The meanings of panic and fright largely overlap; however, panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

When is terror a more appropriate choice than fright?

Although the words terror and fright have much in common, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

How are the words trepidation and dread related as synonyms of fright?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fright
Noun
The main cast gets the feel and tone of what Wilson has wrought, both the frights and the frivolity. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Dec. 2024 The demand from scare-seekers for bigger, better frights has even led one haunt to expand from its spot at Royal Palm Beach’s fall festival to a standalone attraction in Loxahatchee. Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
The perpetrators would acquire the vehicles via hire-purchase agreements, air fright them to Singapore with false papers and then ship them to Thailand. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024 For anyone into sheer terror with a side of entertainment, streaming services like Shudder can fright and delight. Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2022 See all Example Sentences for fright 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fright
Noun
  • And who made the mess in question in the first place?
    Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
  • By Jeffrey Kluger January 17, 2025 1:12 PM EST A lot of hardware destined for space went to pieces this week, but to hear the rocket companies responsible for the messes tell it, little untoward happened at all.
    Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • But this progress was not inevitable; it was forged through struggle and the determination to rise above fear and division.
    John Hope Bryant, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
  • On trial for murder: The trial of three men linked to a series of robberies and murders that rocked New York’s L.G.B.T.Q. community and spread fear throughout the city began with opening statements.
    Shayla Colon, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Where another artist might rely on grotesque specifics to frighten the reader, Mignola’s insinuating expanses of black ink conceal all but the most necessary details of a rich and malevolent world, filled with monstrosities, yes, but also oddities, many of them delightful.
    Sam Thielman, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • As the devastating wildfires began to sweep across Los Angeles on Jan. 7, frightened residents were not turning to Netflix.
    Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • As is the case with horror icons such as Dracula, Freddy Krueger, and The Babadook, expect Bill Skarsgård's grotesque Count Orlok to be an annual Halloween costume favorite from now on.
    Simon Thompson, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The film is supernatural body horror goodness from debut filmmaker Michael Shanks.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The situation caused Campbell a lot of anxiety, but became a pivotal shift in her perspective.
    Kait Hanson, Glamour, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Then the widespread anxiety spurred by a wave of high-profile robberies and the deadly home-invasion of Jacqueline Avant.
    Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • All these precautions are not meant to scare people, Tetro and Gerba said, but to inform.
    Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Because these WMAs are designed to provide two conflicting services — to maintain wildlife habitat and to offer recreation, including hunting opportunities that may scare the birds away — no one really knows how the resident geese perceive the situation.
    GrrlScientist, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • At the Commerce Department, employees were terrified whenever a meeting was called, one worker said.
    Erica L. Green, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Set in a German port in the 1830s, the remake follows a haunted young woman named Ellen Hutter (Depp) and Count Orlok (Skarsgård), the terrifying vampire who becomes infatuated with her.
    Michaela Zee, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • By the end of the 90-minute debate, those who had been able to bear sticking around were in a panic.
    Annie Karni, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
  • People who are impacted by natural disaster may feel a strong sense of grief, panic, loss, fear and sadness, according to the University of Houston's Department of Psychology.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near fright

Cite this Entry

“Fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fright. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fright

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