Meanings
plural waterfrights · alternative water-fright · alternative water fright
- countablenonstandardrareuncountableA fear of water; aquaphobia.
However, once you get the water-fright it is almost incurable, and perhaps not worth writing about.
2019, Stephen Graham, The Gentle Art of Tramping, page 814 more examples
Possibly the foundation was subconscious memories of two water-frights, one on the ocean at six, one on a pond at thirteen ; but these were in themselves unimportant; and I have found, in my subconscious, few ideational or emotional associations.
1927, William Ellery Leonard, The Locomotive-God, page 279Others describe water fright as a condition marked by aversion to being bathed, cold, damp skin,and hyperkinesis, and yet others by fever and cold sweating even though the child is bundled and placed in the sun.
2010, Frank J. Lipp, The Mixe of Oaxaca: Religion, Ritual, and HealingLeaving your dog sitting in dirty water will get its ears acclimatized to the sound of running water and kill this water fright it has.
2014, Joan Price, Do It Yourself Dog Grooming, page 4By doing so, he wanted to produce a waterfright in Truman to prevent him from crossing the sea behind which he could find an exit from the false world.
2018, Garry W. Trompf, Gunner B. Mikkelsen, Jay Johnston, The Gnostic WorldSynonyms: hydrophobia, water-fear
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA fear of water; aquaphobia.
Origin
From water + fright. Compare Old English wæterfyrhtness (“fear of water, hydrophobia”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
waterfright. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waterfright
“waterfright.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waterfright. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “waterfright,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waterfright.
Source: waterfright on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.