Dictionary

age fright en · NOUN

Etymology

From age + fright, modelled after stage fright.

Meanings

1. (rare, uncountable) The fear of getting older.
   • Suggest a sermon or presentation on an appropriate topic such as "Accept Your Age,” or “Overcoming Age Fright." 1988, Dorothea Marvin Nyberg, Life Support, page 137:
   • I don't know if this is incurable stage fright, or age fright! 2024, Emily A. Rollie, Milestones in Staging Contemporary Genders and Sexualities:
   • I developed Getting On, a back stage tour, a workshop guide for dealing with elders on issues of ‘agefright’ created in collaboration with Leslie Hill and Helen Paris at Stanford University. 2019, Lois Weaver, English and Drama:
   • In terms of onstage creative work, I'm working on an autobiographical piece called Age Fright, which parallels age fright and stage fright and is part of my larger research project looking at ageing, intimacy and fear. 2013, Caoimhe McAvinchey (editor), Performance and Community: Commentary and Case Studies:
   • He looked at the mirror - the sight made him grin, It could not be clearer...age-fright was no sin. 2014, James Clark, Gone Secular & Other Poems, page 35:

Forms

Synonyms

gerascophobia · gerontophobia