Standard Lemma guide

fright

adj · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: frīt
  • UK, US: /fɹaɪt/
  • rhymes with -aɪt
  • Canada, Northern-US: /fɹʌit/
  • Canada: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F R AY1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

frightened; afraid; affright

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short duration; a sudden alarm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Someone strange, ugly or shocking, producing a feeling of alarm or aversion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To frighten.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fear, fearfulness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emotion

Narrower terms: alarm, dismay, consternation, creeps, frisson, shiver, chill, quiver, shudder, thrill, tingle, horror, hysteria, panic, terror, affright, scare, panic attack, stage fright, apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread, timidity, timidness, timorousness, intimidation

6

verb

Meaning 6

cause fear in

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The stranger who hangs around the building frightens me
  • Ghosts could never affright her

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frighten, scare, affright

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stimulate, shake, shake up, excite, stir

Narrower terms: bluff, awe, terrify, terrorize, terrorise, intimidate, dismay, alarm, appal, appall, horrify, consternate, spook

History

Etymology

Probably short for affright, from Middle English afright, from Old English āfyrht, past participle of āfyrhtan (“to make afraid; terrify”).

From Middle English fright, furht, from Old English fryhtu, fyrhto (“fright, fear, dread, trembling, horrible sight”), from Proto-Germanic *furhtį̄ (“fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥k- (“to fear”). Cognate with Scots fricht (“fright”), Old Frisian fruchte (“fright”), Low German frucht (“fright”), Middle Dutch vrucht, German Furcht (“fear, fright”), Danish frygt (“fear”), Swedish fruktan (“fear, fright, dread”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹 (faurhtei, “fear, horror, fright”). Compare possibly Albanian frikë (“fear, fright, dread, danger”).

Across languages

Translations

64 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رُعْب (ruʕb) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Arabic: ذُعْر (ḏuʕr) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Arabic: خَوْف (ḵawf) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Armenian: վախ (vax) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Armenian: երկյուղ (erkyuġ) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Belarusian: спало́х (spalóx) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Belarusian: пераля́к (pjeralják) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Belarusian: страх (strax) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Belarusian: ляк (ljak) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Bulgarian: уплаха (uplaha) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Catalan: ensurt — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Catalan: espant — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Catalan: esverament — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Cimbrian: dabòrte — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Esperanto: timego — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Finnish: pelko — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Finnish: kauhu — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • French: effroi — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • French: épouvante — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Georgian: შიში (šiši) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • German: Schreck — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • German: Schrecken — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • German: Angst — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • German: Chlupf — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Gothic: 𐌿𐍃𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌼𐌴𐌹 (usfilmei) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Greek: τρομάρα (tromára) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Ancient Greek: τάρβος (tárbos) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Hebrew: בֶּהָלָה (behalá) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Irish: scanradh — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Irish: scéin — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Japanese: 怖じけ (ojike) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Kazakh: зәре (zäre) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Korean: 겁 (geop) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Korean: 놀람 (nollam) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Northern Kurdish: tirs — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Northern Kurdish: xof — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Macedonian: уплав (uplav) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Macedonian: страв (strav) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Malay: ketakutan — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Polish: przestrach — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Portuguese: espanto — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Portuguese: susto — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Romanian: spaimă — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Russian: испу́г (ispúg) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Russian: страх (strax) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Scots: fricht — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Scottish Gaelic: clisgeadh — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Spanish: susto — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Swedish: skräck — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Swedish: fruktan — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Swedish: fasa — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Tarifit: tiggwdi — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Turkish: korku — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Ottoman Turkish: قورقو (korku) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Ottoman Turkish: وحشت (vahşet) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Ukrainian: переля́к (perelják) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Ukrainian: страх (strax) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Ukrainian: ляк (ljak) — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Welsh: abwth — A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger
  • Bulgarian: страшилище (strašilište) — someone strange, ugly or shocking
  • Georgian: საფრთხობელა (saprtxobela) — someone strange, ugly or shocking
  • Macedonian: страшилиште (strašilište) — someone strange, ugly or shocking
  • Russian: пу́гало (púgalo) — someone strange, ugly or shocking
  • Russian: страши́лище (strašílišče) — someone strange, ugly or shocking