jump scare

noun

variants or less commonly jump-scare

ˈjəmp-ˌsker

or jumpscare

plural jump scares also jump-scares or jumpscares

: a scripted moment (as in a film or video game) intended to startle the audience

The biggest jolts in "The Omen" … come from conventionally staged jump scares, where a nasty image suddenly flashes on the screen accompanied by a startling sound effect.—

Li Wang

… differentiates itself from other VR [=virtual reality] horror games by not resorting to cheap jump-scares, instead flexing its brilliant visuals to build an atmospheric sense of foreboding.—

Chris Button

Examples of jump scare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Setting aside some gratuitous jump scares, Eggers has now made a Dracula movie that’s more than an exercise, more than an assertion of talent. —

Wesley Morris, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024 And without making anything in the film ever feel like a jump scare. —

Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024 The film’s frights aren’t limited to cheap jump scares caused by creepy creatures, although those are unfortunately present. —

Courtney Howard, Variety, 17 Sep. 2024 Zoom out: Night Stalkers also has carnival games, concessions, music, pumpkins for sale, and a larger corn maze to leisurely explore without jump scares or chainsaw guys. —

Erin Alberty, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jump scare