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

Example 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
Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination. Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025 In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name. Gil MacIas, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
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
  • Similarly, homeowners who enjoy entertaining might prioritize a scullery or prep kitchen/pantry to keep the party mess out of view.
    Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 26 June 2025
  • In the wacky political world of Southeast Los Angeles County — where scandals seem to bloom every year with the regularity of jacarandas — there’s never been a mess as pendejo as the one stirred up this week by Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • And any fear—and hence bigger discounts—caused by overwrought debt worries just makes our opportunity even sweeter.
    Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • After a den of thieves ransacked a rural Northern California home so many times that the owner fled in fear, the property fell into even wilder hands: a group of bears, authorities said.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • May 9, 2024 Gary Usher, a songwriter who worked with Landy, told state investigators that Wilson was a virtual captive, manipulated by a man who frightened and intimidated him.
    Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
  • Today, movies and TV intended for the biggest audience possible often water down their storytelling and generalize in order to avoid anything that might challenge, frighten or unsettle the audience.
    Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • Her post-Sisterhood career has featured roles in horror flicks (The Grudge 2), cringe comedies (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret), medical dramas (House), and sitcoms (Two and a Half Men).
    EW.com, EW.com, 28 June 2025
  • The quiet horror is that even 20 years later, the fence has not disappeared.
    Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • In addition to being an outstanding source of quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, eggs contain choline, an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in brain health and helps to reduce stress and anxiety by improving emotional well-being.
    Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 23 June 2025
  • Too much attention, often understandably driven by shareholder and financial analyst anxiety, is being placed on the lagging indicators of current performance.
    Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • However, the stories about Porter from Cleveland and Houston may scare enough other teams that Milwaukee can keep him at that price. 7.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 17 June 2025
  • That is because high costs are still scaring off buyers, who are also delaying purchasing a home because of growing economic uncertainty.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Every manager, then, wanted a guy on his bench who was there for one reason only: to grab a bat, terrify the closer and obliterate a baseball.
    Jayson Stark, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Farm laborers, many of whom have lived and worked in their communities for decades, were terrified of being rounded up and deported, separated from their families and livelihoods.
    Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Yet rather than panic, creators have been quick to adapt.
    Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Yet the faces and the fashions, not to mention the paranoia and the panic, feel very Seventies.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fright. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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