fright Meaning & Definition
What Does Fright Mean?
Fright is a noun that means A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short duration; a sudden alarm. It can also mean Someone strange, ugly or shocking, producing a feeling of alarm or aversion. As a verb, it means To frighten. As an adjective, it means frightened; afraid; affright.
Quick Facts About Fright
| Part of speech | noun, verb, adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /fɹaɪt/ |
| Synonyms | affright, fearfulness and scare |
| Antonyms | bravery and fearlessness |
| Plural | frights |
| Comparative / superlative | more fright, most fright |
| Verb forms | frights, frighting, frighted |
Fright Definition (Noun)
- A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short duration; a sudden alarm.
- Someone strange, ugly or shocking, producing a feeling of alarm or aversion.
Fright as a Verb
- To frighten.
Fright as an Adjective
- frightened; afraid; affright
Synonyms of Fright
Fright synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Fright
Word Forms & Grammar
fright (countable and uncountable, plural frights)
fright (third-person singular simple present frights, present participle frighting, simple past and past participle frighted)
fright (comparative more fright, superlative most fright)
Words That Rhyme With Fright
Origin of Fright
Origin 1: 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”).
Origin 2: 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”).
Origin 3: Probably short for affright, from Middle English afright, from Old English āfyrht, past participle of āfyrhtan (“to make afraid; terrify”).
Fright: Your Questions Answered
Is fright a noun or a verb?
Fright is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb and an adjective.
What is another word for fright?
Close synonyms of fright are affright, fearfulness and scare. See the full list of fright synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of fright?
Antonyms of fright include bravery and fearlessness.
What is the plural of fright?
The plural of fright is frights.
What is the past tense of fright?
The past tense of fright is frighted. The present participle is frighting.