scary

adjective

ˈsker-ē 

scarier; scariest

1

: causing fright : alarming

a scary story

2

: easily scared : timid

3

: feeling alarm or fright : frightened

scarily

ˈsker-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• alarming
• dire
• direful
• dread
• dreadful
• fearful
• fearsome
• forbidding
• formidable
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• hair-raising
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrifying
• intimidating
• redoubtable
• shocking
• spine-chilling
• terrible
• terrifying

Examples of scary in a Sentence

a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards

a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow

Recent Examples on the Web

And yet what this Dracula radiates — the scariest thing about him — is greater than any of that totalizing power. —Wesley Morris, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024

But his warnings of fines were indeed rather scary. —Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.d., Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

The snowy Transylvanian is eerie, creepy and eventually downright scary. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024

The song’s four-note riff became arguably the most iconic string hook since Bernard Herrmann’s classic Psycho score climax 64 years earlier – and probably even scarier for Drake, who was now trailing in the feud by just about any estimation. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scary

adjective

ˈske(ə)r-ē 

ˈska(ə)r-

scarier; scariest

1

: causing fright : alarming

a scary movie

2

: easily scared : timid

3

: feeling alarm or fright : scared, frightened

scary feeling

scarily

-ə-lē 

adverb