Scary Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

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 injury wasn't my scariest, as it didn't happen at a specific moment," she says.

From BBC

It sounded scary, even if it was just in a regular doctor’s office.

From Literature

It sounded scary but… just might be the beginnings of a plan.

From Literature

Joanna, 64, a retired NHS worker, says she didn't know whether her husband would make it out of the ambulance alive: "He was so pale, it was really scary."

From BBC

The painful, and sometimes scary, parts of the process are often overshadowed by successful birth, leaving viewers with a rosy portrayal of the experience.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alarming
• chilling
• creepy
• eerie
• hairy
• horrifying
• intimidating
• shocking
• spooky

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.