fright

== English == === Pronunciation === (UK, US) enPR: frīt, IPA(key): /fɹaɪt/ Rhymes: -aɪt (Canada, Northern US) IPA(key): /fɹʌit/ === Etymology 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”). 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”). ==== Noun ==== fright (countable and uncountable, plural frights) 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. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== frighten ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== fright (third-person singular simple present frights, present participle frighting, simple past and past participle frighted) (archaic, transitive) To frighten. ===== Derived terms ===== befright === Etymology 2 === Probably short for affright, from Middle English afright, from Old English āfyrht, past participle of āfyrhtan (“to make afraid; terrify”). ==== Adjective ==== fright (comparative more fright, superlative most fright) (rare) frightened; afraid; affright == Middle English == === Alternative forms === friȝt, freyhte, fyrht, furht, frigt, fryȝt === Etymology === From Old English fryhtu, from earlier fyrhtu, from Proto-Germanic *furhtį̄. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈfrixt(ə)/, [ˈfriçt(ə)] === Noun === fright (plural *frightes) A fright or scare. ==== Related terms ==== frighten frightful (rare) frighti (rare) frightly (rare) ==== Descendants ==== English: fright Scots: fricht === References === “fright, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 5 April 2018.