fright 1 of 2

fright

2 of 2

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
Here, original characters like a menacing set of twins and a bug monster are available to chat with guests or give them a fright. Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025 Well, consider that, unlike what’s happening in the world at large, the frights and delights inside Viola’s Room are actually fun. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 June 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
  • Other cuts start as pop songs before crashing into atonal messes and freak rock chaos.
    Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Vacmaster Portable Carpet Cleaner Utilizing 15 kilopascals of suction power, the cleaner shampoos carpeted and upholstered surfaces to break up tough messes.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Mothers told Fletcher of sending their children to live elsewhere for fear they will be raped in the displacement camps, a constant worry.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The stock is still benefiting from having been dismissed and cheapened by prior fears of its search franchise being disrupted.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Judy Hernandez’ husband Raul, a co-founder of the community group the Resurrection Project, dismissed those plans as a political stunt geared to create fear and frighten Spanish-speaking people.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Many of us are conditioned to think that our ultimate goal in life is to be with someone, so much so, that the mere thought of being alone frightens us.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Netflix struck gold with Wednesday, the supernatural horror-comedy centered on the sardonically morbid teenage daughter of the Addams Family.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2025
  • But a heart-wrenching 2016 case report of a boy in Oregon detailed the horrors of what the disease can look like.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Add in the possibility of more extensive – and costly – work such as bridges, crowns, extractions or implants, and the anxiety can grow even stronger.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The enthusiasm around personal curriculums and independent learning might reflect modern-day anxieties.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Just enough time to snap some selfies and scare your housemates.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Their offense, outside their all-world quarterback, doesn’t scare anybody, not without Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (injury), and with Travis Kelce in Year 13.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In that episode, the college football fans are terrified to find themselves in Pro Town, a place where people go to yoga on Saturdays.
    Kristi Dosh, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Murillo recalled a Cuban grandmother whose grandchildren were terrified to go to school after their father was detained in front of them at their own home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Widespread panic and pain People who were not directly exposed to the disaster but who were exposed to the news also experience distress, anxiety or symptoms of PTSD.
    Arash Javanbakht, The Conversation, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Naturally the thought of death came into one’s mind occasionally but one tried to be sensible about it, not getting into a panic, not pushing it away.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fright. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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