scare

1 of 2

verb

ˈsker 

scared; scaring

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm

intransitive verb

: to become scared

scarer noun

scare

2 of 2

noun

1

: a sudden fright

2

: a widespread state of alarm : panic

scare adjective

Synonyms of scare

Verb

• frighten
• terrify
• startle

Noun

• fear
• anxiety
• fearfulness
• panic

Examples of scare in a Sentence

Verb

You scared me. I didn't see you there.

Stop that, you're scaring the children.

Noun

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

Verb

The month also brings holiday fireworks, which can scare pets and send them running. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Oakes can be heard in the video yelling and attempting to scare the bear away. — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 30 June 2026

Noun

England had quite a scare against DR Congo before talisman Harry Kane saved the day with a pair of late goals. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026

Elsewhere, two European powerhouses in England and Belgium survived major scares to advance. — David Hickey, NBC news, 2 July 2026

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

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing scare

• bomb scare
• frighten/scare the life out of
• jump-scare
• scare away/off
• scare into
• scare quotes
• scare someone to death
• scare up

Rhymes for scare

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

Kids Definition

scare

1 of 2 verb

ˈske(ə)r 

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