FRIGHTS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

frights 1 of 2

noun

plural of fright

as in messes

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

visions

frights

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fright

as in scares

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

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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

Noun

And some of the film’s most impressive frights take place in the dentist’s chair, veering into serious body-horror territory. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Copyright 2025, all frights reserved. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot). — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Mar. 2026 Many movies tried to recreate its magic mixture, including some of its own sequels, but few achieved the merry concoction of frights, gore, and giggles that Craven handled so masterfully. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026 But the fun, the frights, and the sense of being among fellow enthusiasts fluent in Slasher 101 and in on the jokes has been bled out of this. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026 There are no giant frights or dynamic action sequences, and the slow pacing makes the film feel at times punishingly long. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2026 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 Not all the scares and frights and bumps in the night are imaginary on Halloween. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frights

Noun

Run it over hard floors and carpets to suck up debris, then convert it into a handheld vacuum to tackle above-floor messes.

— Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
In the busiest area of the house, your toilet may need daily attention to clean stains and messes.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of messes

Verb

Writer-director Jacob Chase is uniquely qualified to distill what really scares audiences.

— William Earl, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
The exposure obviously scares him, but not enough to stop him from filming his next scene, where he’s been tasked with breaking in newcomer Cami Soul.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of scares

Noun

What is also clear is that while Disney may or may not have first heard of the horrors Lee went through in 2001 just a few months ago, this four-claim action is not the first time the actress has had lawyers involved fallout from Poof Point.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 23 Aug. 2026
Also missing is any clear acknowledgment of Singer’s fear for the horrors in store for Antonapoulos, and the dramatic irony created by Antonapoulos’ own seeming obliviousness to how his life is being upended.

— Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrors

Verb

Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
And for members who have a long history, who are used to running on that long history, that frightens them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Noun

But weeks after the largest IPO in history, Musk talked more about the moon during SpaceX’s first earnings call, which investors say is a strategic threshold that will likely be crossed before SpaceX can fully set its sights on Mars.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
And Freddie had his sights set on becoming a CPA and taking over his dad’s business.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of sights

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frighting

frights

fright wig

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Style

“Frights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frights. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of frights

noun

verb

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