Word
fright
US/ˈfɹaɪt/
UK/fɹˈaɪt/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a sudden feeling of fear or shock. You often use it when something unexpected happens that makes you jump.
n. a sudden intense feeling of fear or alarm. Often refers to the physical reaction to a startling event.
Examples
“The loud bang gave me a real fright.”
“The sudden appearance of a deer in the middle of the road gave the driver a terrible fright.”
“While the movie relied heavily on cheap jump scares to give the audience a fright, the underlying psychological tension was what truly resonated with the critics.”
Examples
simple
“The loud bang gave me a real fright.”
contextual
“The sudden appearance of a deer in the middle of the road gave the driver a terrible fright.”
complex
“While the movie relied heavily on cheap jump scares to give the audience a fright, the underlying psychological tension was what truly resonated with the critics.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'give someone a fright' or 'get a fright'.
Pitfall
I was very fright
I was very frightened
Learners often use the noun 'fright' when they need the adjective 'frightened' to describe their feelings.
Etymology
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”).
Probably short for affright, from Middle English afright, from Old English āfyrht, past participle of āfyrhtan (“to make afraid; terrify”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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