jump scare

noun

variants or less commonly jump-scare

ˈjəmp-ˌsker 

or jumpscare

plural jump scares also jump-scares or jumpscares

: a scripted moment (as in a film or video game) intended to startle the audience

The biggest jolts in "The Omen" … come from conventionally staged jump scares, where a nasty image suddenly flashes on the screen accompanied by a startling sound effect.

—Li Wang

… differentiates itself from other VR [=virtual reality] horror games by not resorting to cheap jump-scares, instead flexing its brilliant visuals to build an atmospheric sense of foreboding.

—Chris Button

Examples of jump scare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The director cleverly dishes out these double meanings from start to finish, fusing the parental experience with tons of gore, hysteria, visual gags and occasional jump scares. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026

The show’s greatest strength was never just the jump scares or the hidden ghosts tucked into background shots. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026

While the limitations of technology at the time naturally prevent the film from delivering the dread-inducing jump scares that modern audiences may crave, the atmosphere of Nosferatu is enough to get under your skin. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026

There are no jump scares or gory scenes. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jump scare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare