FRIGHT Synonyms: 121 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

fright 1 of 2

noun

ˈfrīt

Definition of fright

as in mess

something unpleasant to look at people in our neighborhood think that that orange and green office building is a hideous fright

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vision

as in fear

the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger the earthquake so filled me with fright that I still have trouble sleeping

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fright

2 of 2

verb

as in to scare

to strike with fear a ghastly sight that would fright even the most stouthearted soul

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Halloween Horror Nights opened Thursday at the theme park where screams of excitement turned to screams of fright. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026 After a couple of rounds of throwing up and an evaluation by the doctor, Coop is okay, but the whole thing puts a fright into the crew, and especially into Joy. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026

Verb

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

The latter was one of the assistant coaches most responsible for leaving said mess that Mora was brought in to clean up in the first place.

— Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Coffee spills, muddy shoes, pet mishaps, and everyday messes don’t have to turn into decorating disasters.

— Ethan Stone October 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of mess

Noun

Fallout from the data sale Then there are fears this case may set precedent or have long-term consequences for workers.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Hours of silence and speculation in the aftermath added to a sense of fear in Saudi Arabia and across the region.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of fear

Verb

Dozens of other Halloween 2026 events in Metro Detroit are listed in the CBS News Detroit treats and scares roundup.

— Jack Springgate, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
In addition to scaring the bejesus out of Hamlet and demanding blood, the ghost informs the audience exactly how the murder occurred.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of scare

Noun

Her controlled world is turned into a site of emotional horror as a new reality dawns, created and dominated by autonomous feelings.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
But while Cartman and Ike are in Sephora, they get enticed into going into the backrooms with an employee, which look straight out of Kane Parsons’ horror film.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of horror

Noun

The Social Reckoning stars Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White each had their own unique anxieties about following up 2010’s beloved The Social Network.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
The unrest followed days of clashes in Liège, where more than 200 people were arrested, while demonstrators in Brussels described growing anxiety over the cost of daily life.

— Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Verb

But the more productive expansion has to do with character, especially as regards Carrie and her mother, who is not the deranged, abusive religious fanatic of previous versions, but an essentially loving parent frightened of the modern world.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of frighten

Noun

Perhaps more relevant, these concerns arrived hundreds of billions of investment dollars prior to the latest AI-extinction panic.

— Michael Serazio, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Liz has written a lot about the panic in private credit being overblown, but there are some real questions about the quality of its loans — from regulators, not just us in the press.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of panic

Verb

By this point, the audience knows the monster a little too well to be properly terrified of her.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Though privacy concerns around these agents’ access may be terrifying in their own right, for now the utopian vision seems to be winning.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrify

Browse Nearby Words

frigates

fright

frighted

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Style

“Fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fright. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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verb

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