as in messes
something unpleasant to look at
people in our neighborhood think that that orange and green office building is a hideous fright
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scares
to strike with fear
a ghastly sight that would fright even the most stouthearted soul
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 frights
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025
Audiences just can’t get enough of films that offer frights and scares, or even family-friendly flicks that pay homage to spooky season.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Horror anthologies are a tradition in British cinema, and this collection of bite-sized frights is the granddaddy of them all.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Attendees will also get to enjoy the 12 pinball machines, racing games, retro games, giant centipede, air hockey, Guitar Hero, hoops, Skee Ball and so much on the night of frights.
—Avidxchange Music Factory, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Not all the scares and frights and bumps in the night are imaginary on Halloween.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Decorations, balloons, and sudden noises may mimic Halloween-style frights.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Cheesy frights rely on cartoonish CGI and spewing blood to provoke imagery that’s memorable for the wrong reasons.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
The haunted house will feature black lights, strobe lights, loud noises and more special effects to create the frights.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
Knott’s has unveiled its annual Seasons of Fun calendar that includes events dedicated to Peanuts characters, Boysenberry treats, summertime barbecues, Halloween frights and Christmas cheer.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025
Audiences just can’t get enough of films that offer frights and scares, or even family-friendly flicks that pay homage to spooky season.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Horror anthologies are a tradition in British cinema, and this collection of bite-sized frights is the granddaddy of them all.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Attendees will also get to enjoy the 12 pinball machines, racing games, retro games, giant centipede, air hockey, Guitar Hero, hoops, Skee Ball and so much on the night of frights.
—Avidxchange Music Factory, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Not all the scares and frights and bumps in the night are imaginary on Halloween.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Decorations, balloons, and sudden noises may mimic Halloween-style frights.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Cheesy frights rely on cartoonish CGI and spewing blood to provoke imagery that’s memorable for the wrong reasons.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
The haunted house will feature black lights, strobe lights, loud noises and more special effects to create the frights.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frights
Noun
-
And much of the international order is an attempt to avert messes, even by letting odious and illegitimate governments stay in power, because messes can be odious too.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Treat any pet messes on the wood floors as soon as possible to prevent liquid from seeping through the wood.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
What scares those in the world of pediatrics, though, is imagining how the new schedule could play out over time.—
Isabella Cueto,
STAT,
6 Jan. 2026
-
What's the thing that scares me the most?—
NBC news,
NBC news,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Stories The Dial Press, February 24 I love reading about the horrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of teenage diarist Anne Frank and a tireless educator about the horrors of the Holocaust, has died.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Baker says what frightens her most is whether younger generations will ever be able to step off that wheel — to build generational wealth through homeownership.—
Elizabeth Prann,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Baltimore picked up a win over the Minnesota Vikings as the team set its sights on the AFC North lead.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
That's when Ratliff shifted his sights on them.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
While early allergen introduction is not without complexities, the measurable reduction in peanut allergies—once the most common pediatric food allergy and one that terrifies allergy parents—signals a milestone in preventive care.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Jesus may haunt Wendell, but Wendell terrifies Lee.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frights. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share