Meaning & Definition
noun
A feeling of fear or alarm.
She jumped back in fright when the door suddenly slammed.
A sudden scare or shock that typically causes a physical reaction.
The loud thunderstorm gave him quite a fright.
The act of causing fear; a startle.
His intention was just to play a prank, but it ended up being a fright for everyone.
verb
To cause someone to feel fear.
The eerie noises in the attic fright me.
To suddenly startle or scare someone.
The masked figure was meant to fright the children during Halloween.
Etymology
Middle English 'frighte', from Old English 'fyrhþ', related to fear.
Common Phrases and Expressions
fright night:
A night filled with scares or horror-themed activities.
frightened to death:
To be extremely scared.
give someone a fright:
To scare someone suddenly.
Slang Meanings
A severe scare or surprise.
That movie gave me a fright!
To throw someone into a state of fear or alarm.
Don't fright me like that!