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

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IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

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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

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

How to use scare in a sentence

First I won’t leave my warm house, roommate and cat to drive onto central Florida’s main artery, Interstate 4, a ride that has provided me with more scares and longer wait times than anything at Disney or Universal.
Okay, so maybe we don’t miss everything about holiday travel|Liz Langley|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
Warnock has tried to brush all this off as Republicans using scare tactics.
What you need to know about the Georgia Senate runoff elections|Amber Phillips|December 17, 2020|Washington Post
Weddings, vacations, car repairs and health scares never occur on a set schedule but you can plan on paying for these events by setting aside small amounts of money each month to better prepare yourself when life inevitably gets in the way.
The 20 most important personal finance laws to live by|Ben Carlson|December 8, 2020|Fortune
He says that WhatsApp groups were full of rumors and false reports of shootings, so he decided to use the app as a way to “avoid unnecessary scares.”
The apps keeping Rio’s residents safe from stray bullets|Niall Firth|November 26, 2020|MIT Technology Review

On the other side of the standings, the New York Jets fell to a league-worst 0-10, but not before giving the Los Angeles Chargers a scare on the road.
AFC South thrives and the Steelers stay unbeaten in NFL Week 11|Cindy Boren, Mark Maske, Des Bieler|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
At first, she thought he was just joking around, but soon, Mulvehill was scaring her, according to the report.
School Shooters Love This Pickup Artist Website|Brandy Zadrozny|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scaring voters, whether about ISIS or Ebola, is good for the GOP.
Ebola Scare-Mongerer Rand Paul Wants You to Think You’re Going to Die|Sally Kohn|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Both insisted Goldwater was scaring away the swing voters Republicans needed with his unyielding conservatism.
Barry Goldwater, Father of the Tea Party|Nicolaus Mills|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We were all born to tell the stories of our lives; the problem lies in scaring up an audience.
Comedy Is His Calling: The Brilliance of Billy Crystal|Tom Shales|April 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Talk show host extraordinaire Ellen DeGeneres is known for her love of scaring her guests and staff.
Ellen’s Haunted House, Panda Cubs, and More Viral Videos|Julian E. Wright|November 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It will almost break me heart when the gang comes and begins tearing up the swamp and scaring away me chickens.
Freckles|Gene Stratton-Porter
But the religious troubles of the Netherlands were already scaring capital and industry from their older seats.
History of the English People|John Richard Green
What did they mean by coming into his veldt and shooting his game without his leave, and scaring his ostriches all over the place?
Aletta|Bertram Mitford
This country belongs to the red man, but his white brethren travels through, shooting the game and scaring it away.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XXX|Joel Palmer
Why didn't you join the girls, instead of hanging behind and scaring them half to death?
Quicksilver Sue|Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards

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 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