Scary
'skɛəri
Definitions
Causing fear or apprehension.
'skɛəri
Causing fear or fright.
The haunted house was incredibly scary.
💡 Simply: Something scary is like a surprise that makes you feel afraid or jumpy. Like when a monster jumps out in a movie!
👶 For kids: Making you feel afraid.
More Examples
She found the dark forest scary.
That clown's makeup looked scary.
How It's Used
"The movie had some scary scenes."
"The haunted house was described as a scary place."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
scared stiff
Extremely frightened; paralyzed by fear.
"He was scared stiff when he saw the ghost."
scare someone out of their wits
To frighten someone very much.
"The loud thunder scared her out of her wits."
From the Old Norse word 'skjarr' meaning 'timid' or 'frightened'. It evolved through Middle English 'skari'.
The word has been used in similar contexts since the 16th century, originally linked to sudden fright.
Memory tip
Think of a scary movie that makes you jump.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: skjarr