noun
fright
fryt
noun
1
A sudden, strong feeling of fear.
"The loud bang gave her quite a fright."
"He nearly jumped out of his skin with fright."
2
Informal: someone or something that looks alarming or ridiculous.
"With her hair sticking up, she looked an absolute fright."
verb
1
To frighten; to cause fear in someone.
"The thunder frighted the horses."
How to Use Fright
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sudden burst of fear, or, informally, someone whose appearance is startling.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
give someone a fright
jump with fright
Word Forms
more fright comparative, frighted past tense, frights plural, frights singular, most fright superlative
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Etymology
From Old English fyrhto, "fear, dread, trembling," related to a Proto-Germanic root for fear.