English Explanatory Dictionary

fright

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short duration; a sudden alarm.
  2. Someone strange, ugly or shocking, producing a feeling of alarm or aversion.
verb
  1. To frighten.
adj
  1. frightened; afraid; affright

Pronunciation

frīt /fɹaɪt/ /fɹʌit/ En-ca-fright.ogg En-us-fright.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-fright.wav

Word forms

fright frights frighting frighted more fright most fright

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”).

Related words

frighten

Derived words

affrighten frightable frightfest frightful frightless frightly frightmare frightment frightsome frighty horsefright speechfright age fright camera fright fright disease fright wig job fright look a fright mic fright mike fright nightfright page fright plane fright snake-fright speech fright stage fright stage-fright take fright waterfright befright
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