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definitions

scare

[skair]
See more synonyms for scare on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), scared, scar·ing.
  1. to fill, especially suddenly, with fear or terror; frighten; alarm.
verb (used without object), scared, scar·ing.
  1. to become frightened: That horse scares easily.
noun
  1. a sudden fright or alarm, especially with little or no reason.
  2. a time or condition of alarm or worry: For three months there was a war scare.
Verb Phrases
  1. scare up, Informal. to obtain with effort; find or gather: to scare up money.

Origin of scare

1150–1200; (v.) Middle English skerren < Old Norse skirra to frighten, derivative of skjarr timid, shy; (noun) late Middle English skere, derivative of the v.
Related formsscar·er, nounscar·ing·ly, adverbun·scared, adjective

Synonyms for scare

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1. startle, intimidate. See frighten.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for scare

alarm, shock, panic, paralyze, dismay, terrorize, intimidate, startle, daunt, awe, petrify, terrify, terror, start, fright, alert, freeze, spook, affright, chill

Examples from the Web for scare

Contemporary Examples of scare

Historical Examples of scare

  • What's any of them little haythen been coin' to scare ye, missy?

    Her Father's Daughter

    Gene Stratton-Porter

  • I just know he's a cowardy-cat, because he's always trying to scare ME.

    Good Indian

    B. M. Bower

  • You've played jokes on her, and told her things to scare her—and my grief!

    Good Indian

    B. M. Bower

  • With Mr. Morris at the front end of that log, there's no hope of scare.

  • Not just because I was frightened, it wasn't so simple as a scare.

    The Harbor

    Ernest Poole

British Dictionary definitions for scare

scare

verb
  1. to fill or be filled with fear or alarm
  2. (tr; often foll by away or off) to drive (away) by frightening
  3. (tr) US and Canadian informal (foll by up)
    1. to produce (a meal) quickly from whatever is available
    2. to manage to find (something) quickly or with difficultybrewers need to scare up more sales
noun
  1. a sudden attack of fear or alarm
  2. a period of general fear or alarm
adjective
  1. causing (needless) fear or alarma scare story
Derived Formsscarer, 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
Word Origin and History for scare
v.

1590s, alteration of Middle English skerren (c.1200), from Old Norse skirra "to frighten; to shrink from, shun; to prevent, avert," related to skjarr "timid, shy, afraid of," of unknown origin. In Scottish also skair, skar, and in dialectal English skeer, skear, which seems to preserve the older pronunciation. To scare up "procure, obtain" is first recorded 1846, American English, from notion of rousing game from cover. Related: Scared; scaring.

n.

"something that frightens; sudden panic, sudden terror inspired by a trifling cause, false alarm," 1520s, alteration of Middle English sker "fear, dread" (c.1400), from scare (v.). Scare tactic attested from 1948.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.