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

Raise your hand if you’ve been victimized by the summertime jump scare that is a molting cardinal. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 30 July 2026

The tentacular Scylla is seen briefly but makes an impact, yanking sailors off Odysseus’s ship in a series of loud jump scares. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026

Looking back at my high school photos is a borderline jump scare. — Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 6 July 2026

There are several jump scares as the atmosphere becomes increasingly unnerving. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 18 June 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