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

One element his past as a scary maze operator was especially helpful for is the jump scares the series is known for. — William Earl, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Perhaps the jump scares here also helped shake the filmmakers out of their lethargy in post-production. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026

The most terrifying shots in It Follows weren’t about jump scares, but about the monster inexorably stalking toward characters who hadn’t seen it yet. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026

Jump scares No horror game would be complete without the occasional jump scare. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 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