scare

[ skair ]

/ skɛər /

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See synonyms for: scare / scared / scaring on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), scared, scar·ing.

to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm.

verb (used without object), scared, scar·ing.

to become frightened: That horse scares easily.

noun

a sudden fright or alarm, especially with little or no reason.

a time or condition of alarm or worry: For three months there was a war scare.

Verb Phrases

scare up, Informal. to obtain with effort; find or gather: to scare up money.

OTHER WORDS FOR scare

1 startle, intimidate.

See synonyms for scare on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of scare

First recorded in 1150–1200; (verb) Middle English skerren, from Old Norse skirra “to frighten”, derivative of skjarr “timid, shy”; (noun) late Middle English skere, derivative of the verb

synonym study for scare

1. See frighten.

OTHER WORDS FROM scare

scar·er, nounscar·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby scare

scarce as hen's teeth, scarcely, scarcely ever, scarcement, scarcity, scare, scarecrow, scared, scaredy-cat, scarehead, scaremonger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use scare in a sentence

In terms of horror, “The Medium” has some good scares but they are sandwiched between boring stretches where I mostly just walked through long hallways, or climbed obstacles, feeling lost.
‘The Medium’ review: A disjointed, unfulfilling puzzle horror game|Elise Favis|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
She has been able to keep the coronavirus at bay, but two weeks ago, she had a scare that forced her to close and get everyone tested after a child became ill.
Essential workers get lost in the vaccine scrum as states prioritize the elderly|Lena H. Sun, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Akilah Johnson|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
An artist and critic argues attention is a scare resource and should be directed where it can provide the most value.
Washington Post paperback bestsellers||January 26, 2021|Washington Post
The real flagship SoC is the Snapdragon 888, so Qualcomm's use of "flagship" here definitely belongs in scare quotes.
Qualcomm repackages last year’s flagship SoC as the “Snapdragon 870”|Ron Amadeo|January 19, 2021|Ars Technica

The health scare comes amid a contentious divorce with his wife, Nicole Young, who is reportedly seeking $2 million a month in temporary spousal support and another $5 million in attorney fees.
Dr. Dre says he’s ‘doing great’ at the hospital after suffering a reported brain aneurysm|Timothy Bella|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
“Cultures” Versus “White Girls” As you can probably sense from my scare quotes, you can never be too careful these days.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year|Amy Zimmerman|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mrs. Deshales ordered an ambulance, which managed to scare off Wahlberg and his pals.
Mark Wahlberg’s Pardon Plea: A Look Back At His Troubling, Violent, and Racist Rap Sheet|Marlow Stern|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As we have seen, it is not just the fact that they scare people.
Does Free Speech Cover Murder Fantasies? The Supreme Court’s Definition of a ‘Threat’|Geoffrey R. Stone|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Keep the scare quotes around gay “marriage,” or at least put an asterisk after it.
RFRA Madness: What’s Next for Anti-Democratic ‘Religious Exemptions’|Jay Michaelson|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An HIV scare, Rand Paul talking points, and a (maybe) proposition.
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star|Emily Shire|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The submarine scare is full on; the beastly things have frightened us more than all the Turks and all their German guns.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Then the other girls followed; but, just as Nelly got on, Robert Wood shook the plank, and tried to scare her.
The Nursery, August 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 2|Various
London was growing quiet, so that the shrieks of the late newsboys with the evening scare could be distinctly heard there.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
At night the train is increased by the addition of a torch-bearer, to scare off the wild beasts by the glare of his torch.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
I'm half afraid to spend another night in the sleeper after the scare we got last night.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope

British Dictionary definitions for scare

scare

/ (skɛə) /

verb

to fill or be filled with fear or alarm

(tr; often foll by away or off) to drive (away) by frightening

(tr) US and Canadian informal (foll by up)

to produce (a meal) quickly from whatever is available
to manage to find (something) quickly or with difficultybrewers need to scare up more sales

noun

a sudden attack of fear or alarm

a period of general fear or alarm

adjective

causing (needless) fear or alarma scare story

Derived forms of scare

scarer, noun

Word Origin for scare

C12: from Old Norse skirra; related to Norwegian skjerra, Swedish dialect skjarra

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 scare

scare

In addition to the idioms beginning with scare

scare out of one's wits
scare up

also see:

run scared

scare

OTHER WORDS FOR scare

Origin of scare

synonym study for scare

OTHER WORDS FROM scare

Words nearby scare

Words related to scare

How to use scare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for scare

Derived forms of scare

Word Origin for scare

Other Idioms and Phrases with scare