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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

Explanation

If something is scary, it makes you afraid, or scared. Horror films — scary movies — are a very popular genre. Apparently people like to be frightened. Scary is more a more casual way to say "frightening," and you can also use it to describe something that's just bizarre or odd or exceptional: you've become such a good golfer, it's scary; or, you cleaned up you room so fast, it's scary. Note that there is no "e" in scary, even though the verb to scare ends in one.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing scary

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.

It's quite scary when you think about how young this Manchester City team is.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Gadd notes that when he was growing up in a small Scottish village, there was an attitude that Glasgow was a "scary" place but that isn't really the case.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

“What’s scary in this scenario is that Belle is a lawyer,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

In some ways that’s scary, but it could also be “liberating,” he offered.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

He played softly, along with the wind, until after a while that wind didn’t seem so scary, and it actually sounded like a song.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis