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Synonyms

scary

American  
[skair-ee] / ˈskɛər i /

adjective

scarier, scariest

  1. causing fright or alarm.

  2. easily frightened; timid.

scary British  
/ ˈskɛərɪ /

adjective

  1. causing fear or alarm; frightening

  2. 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

Etymology

Origin of scary

First recorded in 1575–85; scare + -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The reaction from parents and schools though - as well as widespread media coverage - actually ended up triggering the circulation of the scary character, and so may have fuelled the fear rather than the opposite.

From BBC

“This to me feels scarier because the supply chain dislocations could be much bigger.”

From Barron's

“It was a scary room for me,” says Heller, now a top art adviser.

From The Wall Street Journal

Soaring oil prices are scary for everyone, but especially for countries in Europe and Asia that aren’t as energy independent as America.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Brittany Wicker says yes to Devonta Anderson soon after they begin dating, but when he discovers she said yes to her wedding dress before they met, he finds that scary and clingy.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.