take fright
Suddenly feel fear
To take fright is to become suddenly afraid or alarmed: The horse took fright at the thunder and bolted.
The phrase suggests an abrupt onset of fear rather than gradual unease.
It appears more often in British than American English, where get scared is more common.
- freak outReact with extreme alarm
- fearEmotional response to threat
- run scaredEscape while afraid
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- lose one's nerveAbandon courage under pressure
alarm · recoil · bolt · flee · run for the hills · turn tail · trepidation · flinch · consternation · tremble · fight-or-flight response · dread · have a fit · shy · cower · cold feet · anxiety · escape
emotional response to threat/danger
take frighttake courage
Muster bravery within
stand firm · hold one's ground · stay calm · take heart · bravery
take, fright, takes, taken, taking, taker, takers, retake, uptake