frightfright /fraɪt/ ●●○ noun 
You gave me such a fright creeping up on me like that!get/have a fright I got an awful fright when I realised how much money I owed.with fright He was shaking with fright.in fright Several of the children cried out in fright.► see thesaurus at fear2take fright to be very afraid of something, especially so that you run away from it or do not do something that you were going to do: The bird took fright and flew away. She had promised to marry him, but took fright at the last moment.3look a fright old-fashioned to look untidy or unattractive → stage fright
WORD ORIGINfright
Origin:
Old English fyrhtoEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Darren was pale with fright.
- And did they never die of fright?
- I knew that I was dead from fright and would be beaten afterward for clumsiness.
- Men had died because an untrained horse had taken fright at the sound of musketry.
- She was a fright last night at the Paradise Garage.
- The Princess was given a serious fright.
THESAURUS
a feeling of being frightened: · He was trembling with fear.· Fear of failure should not stop you trying.
a feeling of great fear, because you think that something terrible is about to happen: · She let out a scream of pure terror.
a sudden feeling of fear, or a situation that makes you feel this: · My body was shaking with fright.· You gave me a fright!· He’s had a bit of fright, that’s all.
a sudden feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensibly: · She was in such a panic that she hardly knew what she was doing!· There were scenes of sheer panic immediately following the bomb blast.
a feeling of fear or worry which shows in your voice or behaviour, because you think something bad might happen: · When I mentioned her name, he looked up at me in alarm.· The streets were calm and there was no sign of alarm.
a feeling that something bad or unpleasant might happen although there is no obvious reason why it should: · She felt the same sense of foreboding she had before her father died.
a permanent strong unreasonable fear of something: · I had a phobia about going to the dentist.
Longman Language Activatorto be suddenly frightened to be suddenly frightened by something that happens: · I got a terrible fright when that dog jumped out at me.get the fright of your life informal (=be suddenly very frightened): · I got the fright of my life when he suddenly spoke from out of the darkness.
to suddenly become so frightened that you cannot think clearly, especially if this makes you do something dangerous or stupid: · When the parachute didn't open I just panicked.· The soldiers panicked and opened fire on the raiders.· When a plane gets into difficulty it is essential that the pilot does not panic.
to make a sudden movement because you are surprised and frightened by something that happens very suddenly: · Something came out in front of me and I jumped.· Following the attacks, he now jumps every time he hears a plane.jump out of your skin: · She jumped out of her skin, as something cold and snakelike was thrust into her hand.
to suddenly feel very frightened, with the result that your face becomes very pale: · Alexander looked down the hall, and went pale with fright. It was as if he had seen a ghost. go white as a sheet: · You're as white as a sheet. What's happened?· The nurse came in with a hypodermic needle, and Rob went white as a sheet.
to make someone feel frightened · Does the thought of death frighten you?· Take that silly mask off -- you're frightening the children.it frightens somebody to know/think etc · It frightens me to know that the rapist still hasn't been caught.frighten the life out of somebody (=make someone feel very frightened) · What are you doing creeping up on me like that? You frightened the life out of me!frighten somebody out of their wits (=make someone feel very frightened) · Film-makers have always known that one way to capture an audience is to frighten it out of its wits. frighten the (living) daylights out of somebody (=make someone feel very frightened) · Melissa spun round to see Eddie standing behind her. "You frightened the daylights out of me!" she gasped. "I never heard you come in."frighten somebody into doing something (=make someone do something by frightening them) · Their lawyers tried to frighten us into signing the contract.frighten somebody off/frighten off somebody (=frighten someone so that they go away or stop trying to do something) · The man pulled out a gun and managed to frighten off his attackers.
especially spoken to make someone feel frightened, especially by making them think something very unpleasant might happen: · He was driving fast just to scare us.· We're not really going to get arrested - I think the police are trying to scare us.it scares somebody to know/think etc: · It scared him to think that his mother might never recover.scare the hell out of somebody (=make someone feel very frightened) informal: · She scared the hell out of me when she said she had to go into hospital.scare the (living) daylights out of somebody (=make someone feel very frightened): · Don't creep up on me like that! You scared the living daylights out of me!
to make someone feel very frightened: · The idea of going down into the caves terrified her.· The teacher terrified her so much, that she hated going to school.· My uncle suffers from agoraphobia, and the idea of leaving the house terrifies him.it terrifies somebody to think/know etc: · It terrified him to think that, in six months' time, he would have to stand up in front of a class and teach them something.
to make someone suddenly feel frightened so that they make a sudden movement or their heart starts beating quickly: · He really gave me a fright when he phoned at that time of night.give somebody a hell of a fright (=make someone suddenly very frightened) informal: · I accidentally touched a live wire in the motor, and even though it didn't hurt me it gave me a hell of a fright.
to make people feel very worried about a possible danger: · We don't wish to alarm people unnecessarily, but it would be wise to avoid drinking the tap water here.· Many women are alarmed by suggestions of a link between the contraceptive pill and breast cancer.
if someone or something startles you, they frighten you because you see them suddenly or hear them when you did not know they were there: · I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.· The noise startled him, and he dropped his glass on the floor.· Any unexpected movements can startle the animal, so it must be approached slowly and steadily.
to suddenly surprise and frighten someone so that they make a sudden movement: · Sorry! I didn't mean to make you jump.· Something darted out from behind the hedge, and made me jump.
if a person or a place gives you the creeps , they make you feel slightly frightened and nervous because they are strange: · This house gives me the creeps - it's so dark and quiet.· I hate being left alone in the office with Graham - he gives me the creeps.
informal if something such as a story or account makes your hair stand on end it makes you very frightened: · Wait until I tell you about the murder -- it'll make your hair stand on end.· I've heard rumours about how Captain Crayshaw disciplines his crew... things to make your hair stand on end.
if a thought or experience sends shivers down your spine , it makes you feel very frightened especially because it involves someone or something that is very evil: · When you think of what happened in that house, it sends shivers down your spine.· Mere mention of his name is enough to send shivers down the spine of even the most battle-hardened fighter.
if a thought or experience makes your blood run cold , it shocks and frightens you because it is extremely cruel, violent, or dangerous: · The thought of ever returning to the prison makes his blood run cold. · The man stepped forward, and when Amelie saw him give a Nazi salute, it made her blood run cold.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY You gave me such a fright creeping up on me like that! I got an awful fright when I realised how much money I owed.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He was petrified with fear when he saw the gun. Richmond was quaking with fury. Den suffered terribly from stage fright.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
You gave me such a fright creeping up on me like that! I got an awful fright when I realised how much money I owed. He was petrified with fear when he saw the gun. Richmond was quaking with fury. Den suffered terribly from stage fright.· But then, she recalled wryly, nor had stage fright.· Q: Do you ever have stage fright?· In the nick of time, they discovered her in a state of hapless stage fright.· Not a touch of stage fright.· Den suffered terribly from stage fright and had some real moments of crisis which of course never showed from the front.· Early attacks of stage fright were cured by a thimbleful of Courvoisier.· So to overcome her fear, she spent two hours a day doing relaxation exercises to conquer her stage fright.
VERB· I thought you might have got a fright.
· The Princess was given a serious fright.· I hadn't long been back from my honeymoon when my new wife was given another fright.· So, skip, Abdul give you a fright, nuh?· I just wanted to give her a fright, that's all.· They teased teachers by dropping books near them, giving them a fright.· You gave us such a fright.· It gave me a fright, I don't mind telling you.
· But when the City looked at the gap where macroeconomic policy should have been, it took fright.· I approached him, but he did not take fright.· Lennon, however, took fright and hurried into a shot which sped wide of the target.· The men steadying it took fright, threw down their long tongs, and fled.· It took a fright like that to make Peggy look solemn.· Men had died because an untrained horse had taken fright at the sound of musketry.· Kafka and Milena take fright and run off in different directions.· Market makers took fright, presuming some one knew something they did not, and the price tumbled 30 p.c.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► look a fright
- But when the City looked at the gap where macroeconomic policy should have been, it took fright.
- I approached him, but he did not take fright.
- If the telephones had rung you would have taken fright.
- Kafka and Milena take fright and run off in different directions.
- Lennon, however, took fright and hurried into a shot which sped wide of the target.
- Market makers took fright, presuming some one knew something they did not, and the price tumbled 30 p.c.
- Men had died because an untrained horse had taken fright at the sound of musketry.
- The men steadying it took fright, threw down their long tongs, and fled.
WORD FAMILYadjectivefrightenedfrighteningfrightfulnounfrightfrightenersadverbfrighteninglyfrightfullyverbfrighten
1[singular, uncountable] a sudden feeling of fear: You gave me such a fright creeping up on me like that!get/have a fright I got an awful fright when I realised how much money I owed.with fright He was shaking with fright.in fright Several of the children cried out in fright.► see thesaurus at fear2take fright to be very afraid of something, especially so that you run away from it or do not do something that you were going to do: The bird took fright and flew away. She had promised to marry him, but took fright at the last moment.3look a fright old-fashioned to look untidy or unattractive → stage fright