scary

[skair-ee]

See more synonyms for scary on Thesaurus.com

adjective, scar·i·er, scar·i·est.

causing fright or alarm.
easily frightened; timid.

Origin of scary

First recorded in 1575–85; scare + -y¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for scarier

hairy, eerie, spooky, intimidating, creepy, alarming, shocking, chilling, horrifying, hair-raising, bloodcurdling, horrendous, spine-chilling, unnerving

Examples from the Web for scarier

Contemporary Examples of scarier

Halloween in France suddenly got scarier than anybody wanted.
French Freak-Out Over Creepy Clowns
Tracy McNicoll
October 31, 2014
But still, HPV carries a lot of unknown health consequences, which makes it scarier.
The Silent Shame of HPV
Emily Shire
August 29, 2014
“Hologram Michael Jackson was scarier than the ‘Thriller’ video,” said Buzzfeed.
Michael Jackson's Crazy Billboard Awards Performance and More Hologram Wins and Fails (VIDEO)
The Daily Beast
May 19, 2014
Being a grown-up, it turns out, is harder—and scarier—than it looks.
‘Portlandia’: Carrie Brownstein on Season 2 and Its Success
Tricia Romano
January 4, 2012
The demon child, played by a quite convincing Isabelle Fuhrman, is frankly terrifying—nothing is scarier than a youth possessed.
The Yes List – The Once Duo, Once Again
The Daily Beast
October 30, 2009

British Dictionary definitions for scarier

scary

adjective scarier or scariest informal

causing fear or alarm; frightening
easily roused to fear; timid

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 scarier

scary

adj.

also scarey, "terrifying," 1580s, from scare (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "easily frightened, subject to scares" is from 1800. Related: Scarier; scariest.