Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - fright

(frights) 1. Fright is a sudden feeling of fear, especially the fear that you feel when something unpleasant surprises you. The steam pipes rattled suddenly, and Franklin uttered a shriek and jumped with fright... The birds smashed into the top of their cages in fright... To hide my fright I asked a question. N-UNCOUNT 2. A fright is an experience which makes you suddenly afraid. The snake picked up its head and stuck out its tongue which gave everyone a fright... The last time you had a real fright, you nearly crashed the car. = scare N-COUNT: usu sing 3. If a person or animal takes fright at something, they are suddenly frightened by it, and want to run away or to stop doing what they are doing. An untrained horse had taken fright at the sound of gunfire... When costs soared, the studio took fright and recalled the company from Rome. PHRASE: V inflects