scare

1 of 2

verb

scared; scaring
Synonyms of scarenext

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm
scarer noun

scare

2 of 2

noun

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

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
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
Guadalajara will be hosting matches this summer, in what’s expected to be an economic boon for the state of Jalisco, and Sheinbaum will no doubt be wary of scaring off would-be tourists. Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026 Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea said during a press conference shortly after the incident that responding agencies apparently scared off the suspect before the accelerant was ignited. ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Heat has maintained a good relationship with Bosh but also had no information on the nature of his health scare. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026 When Hollywood faced a similar scare in late 2025 from an AI video generator created by OpenAI, unions, studios, and talent agencies banded together to push for changes, including the signing of licensing deals. The Week Us, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 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

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on scare

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