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fright

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verb

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
The Vanishing will have no shortage of frights, action and bizarre phenomena. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 7 Jan. 2025 Across seven seasons, viewers got a thrilling blend of laughs, frights, and goofy monster fights that felt innovative and transgressive in equal measure. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
The perpetrators would acquire the vehicles via hire-purchase agreements, air fright them to Singapore with false papers and then ship them to Thailand. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024 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
  • But chances are, this habit can snowball and become a cluttered mess.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 June 2025
  • The mess, not the message, is what many Americans absorbed.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Choosing to be bold and to fight fear is not the easy choice.
    Mitchell W. Berger, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
  • By the end of the month, Mercury will clash with Pluto retrograde, forcing intense conversations that bring hidden fears around your work environment and culture, or past experiences that need to be dealt with to the surface.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • On May 18, Palmer and the cast attended the Shadyside High Senior Prom ’88 experience as guests explored versions of the gymnasium, lockers, girls’ bathroom and more locations designed to frighten fans.
    Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
  • What to know The Astra channel said that Tokarev, head of the military medical commission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sevastopol, got frightened during an air raid alarm overnight on May 1 sparked by a Ukrainian drone barrage.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Phobias, a silent clown duo with a horror twist, brought eerie theatrics to the stage — complete with balloon popping and unsettling surprises — and successfully freaked out the judges (especially Howie Mandel).
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 June 2025
  • The game has surpassed 23 million in global sales and has become a genre-defining title in multiplayer horror gaming.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • When an industry accelerates this fast, anxiety is sure to follow and a growing number of CEOs aren’t asking whether to build with AI.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Survey respondents’ anxiety over unemployment also declined, but a separate measure of employment trends from the Conference Board dipped slightly, reflecting lingering economic uncertainty.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • Commissioners debate impact fees Several commissioners expressed concerns that a sharp hike in impact fees could scare away businesses from building in Manatee County, from day care centers to manufacturing.
    Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025
  • Apparently, the card's $5 million price tag is not scaring off the jet-setters looking to make the U.S. home.
    Tovia Smith, NPR, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • The report's analysis of teaching capabilities reveals why educators are feeling simultaneously excited and terrified about AI's expanding role in classrooms.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • When neighbors are afraid to call the police, when workers fear going to their jobs, and when children are terrified their parents won’t come home — that’s not safety.
    Andrew Nietor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • He’s been with the UK dating show ever since the beginning, and when word spread that Iain Stirling was leaving Love Island UK, many fans went into panic.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 9 June 2025
  • Not knowing the new rules, there always is definitely a total panic and paranoia all the time.
    Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fright. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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