fridge horror
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A seemingly innocuous detail in a story, which, upon further contemplation, carries disturbing undertones.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
> How would you like to live forever, cut into little pieces? Seem like if we were immortal that or something equivalent would be the common fate. There is the Greek myth of someone who was granted the boon of immortality and just kept getting older and older.
>
Different types of immortality have d
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “fridge horror” mean?
A seemingly innocuous detail in a story, which, upon further contemplation, carries disturbing undertones.
Is “fridge horror” formal or informal?
fridge horror is generally slang.