1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scared
filled with fear or dread
I got a little scary when I heard the noise in the basement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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a scary movie
a scary thought
a terrifying thought
a horrifying thought
a frightening thought
a chilling thought
a horrible thought
scary stories
a scary time
a scary situation
a terrifying situation
a dangerous situation
a frightening situation
a bad situation
a crazy situation
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of scary
With Nosferatu—a daring reinvention of the seminal 1922 German silent film by F.W. Murnau, based in turn on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula—Eggers leans fully into supernatural gothic horror, with spectacular, genuinely scary results.
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Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
Is Eggers’s the scariest because I’m jaded and over-exposed to gory content of all sorts—fictitious or otherwise?
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024
By the end, Barbie has to make a very scary choice about her future.
—Erica Marrison, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
The biggest, scariest looking one seemed like an appropriate choice.
—Wes Siler, Outside Online, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary 
Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
Is Eggers’s the scariest because I’m jaded and over-exposed to gory content of all sorts—fictitious or otherwise?
—Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024
By the end, Barbie has to make a very scary choice about her future.
—Erica Marrison, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
The biggest, scariest looking one seemed like an appropriate choice.
—Wes Siler, Outside Online, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
Adjective
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Rose, the terrifying stage mother from Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents’s musical masterpiece, might at first impression be a thousand miles away from McDonald’s palpable warmth and golden, operatic voice—other famous Roses have run over audiences like a freight train.Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
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Older humidifiers often looked like terrifying contraptions and were used mostly in hospital settings to help people with respiratory conditions.Whizy Kim, Vox, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Off stage, his personality is unassuming and his appearance is almost timid.Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 29 Dec. 2024
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But at the professional level, in addition to his lack of accuracy shooting the ball, Sheppard has looked timid and tentative on the court, passing up open shots and unable to make plays off the dribble.Rahat Huq, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Here’s a great piece from this week: Albert Sanders Jr., the boy with the big dreams and the bigger drive, was scared.Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024
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Like, trends largely exist because many people are scared of being seen as an outsider.Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Or maybe the next gen of AI swerves us even deeper into the uncanny valley in yet unknown and frightening ways.Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
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In the dark winter months, Krampus associations in villages hold parades, playfully frightening onlookers on Krampusnacht by chasing them and hitting them with sticks during a run through the streets.Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The psychological toll is equally devastating, leaving victims ashamed, isolated and fearful.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2024
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But there was also a nagging feeling that his powers might be on the wane and that, if Walker was fearful of the media scrutiny that was on its way, elevating him to the captaincy might bring both unwanted publicity for the club and additional pressure on the player.Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Whether the two will remain as close once Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20 is unclear, as the president-elect isn’t afraid to cut ties with those who undermine him.Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 31 Dec. 2024
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Ohio State isn't afraid of the Ducks and will be coming in to make a massive statement.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Today many companies face the formidable challenge of balancing rapid product delivery with uncompromising quality.Wayne Yu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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From his playing days, Posey remembers his Giants won with great starting pitching and a formidable bullpen juggled well by manager Bruce Bochy.Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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When Martin dies in class after getting frightened in a dream, the sheet is accidentally pulled off of his gurney to reveal his death rictus.Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
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His fervor to determine who took the weapon reveals a shockingly monstrous side, turning his wife and children into frightened suspects and leading to a jarring tonal-shift ending that proves to be a cathartic, believable final destination for a film simmering with mistrust and anger.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near scary
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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