scare

1 of 3

verb

ˈsker How to pronounce scare (audio)
scared; scaring
Synonyms of scare

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm

intransitive verb

: to become scared
scarer noun

scare

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a sudden fright
2
: a widespread state of alarm : panic
scare adjective

scarer

3 of 3

noun (2)

scar·​er
ˈskerə(r), 
ˈska(a)r-
plural -s
: one that scares
rooks … haunted the newly sown fields, and rose in clouds at the scarers shout—Adrian Bell

Synonyms of scare

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Verb

Noun (1)

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Examples of scare in a Sentence

Verb You scared me. I didn't see you there. Stop that, you're scaring the children. Noun (1) There have been scares about the water supply being contaminated. fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
El-Sayed is a handy bogeyman for Republican politicians who seek to scare their constituents into voting for them instead of the foreboding Arab name on the ballot. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Universal announced that Nikki, the character Navarrette plays in Obsession was going to roam all of Horror Nights, scaring people and taking photos like Art the Clown, Dracula, and the Weeknd in years past. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
Moderna gave investors a scare as its stock plunged on Thursday. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 The Offspring’s co-founding guitarist Noodles is pausing on performing due to a health scare. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scare

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English skerren, from Old Norse skirra, from skjarr shy, timid

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (1)

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scare was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing scare

Rhymes for scare

See All Rhymes for scare

Browse Nearby Words

scarcity economics
scare
scare away/off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

scare

1 of 2 verb
ˈske(ə)r How to pronounce scare (audio)
ˈska(ə)r
scared; scaring
1
: to frighten suddenly : alarm
2
: to become scared

scare

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden fright
2
: a widespread state of alarm : panic
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