stage fright

See synonyms for stage fright on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. nervousness felt by a performer or speaker when appearing before an audience.

Origin of stage fright

1
First recorded in 1875–80

Words Nearby stage fright

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use stage fright in a sentence

  • For Mutomobo, playing basketball in front of 30,000 people was a shock, and he often had stage fright.

    The Seven Foot Philanthropist | Sandra McElwaine | June 4, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • This is called stage-fright, and it is never cured; it has ruined more brilliant careers than the critics have.

    Black Diamonds | Mr Jkai
  • Perhaps it was stage fright; my voice broke badly, and the audience, especially the men, were not kind.

    Tiger Cat | David H. Keller
  • An extreme example of this form of nervousness is offered by the unfortunate sufferer from stage fright.

    The Psychology of Singing | David C. Taylor
  • stage fright, an extreme form of nervousness, sometimes deprives the sufferer entirely of the power of speech.

    The Psychology of Singing | David C. Taylor
  • As in Chicago, she was seized with stage fright as the very first entrance of the ballet approached, but later she recovered.

    Sister Carrie | Theodore Dreiser

British Dictionary definitions for stage fright

stage fright

noun
  1. nervousness or panic that may beset a person about to appear in front of an audience

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with stage fright

stage fright

Acute nervousness when performing or speaking before an audience, as in When John first had to present his findings to the board of directors, stage fright made him stutter. [Second half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.