scary

adjective

ˈsker-ē 

scarier; scariest

1

: causing fright : alarming

a scary story

2

: easily scared : timid

3

: feeling alarm or fright : frightened

scarily

ˈsker-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of scary

• terrifying
• frightening
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating

Examples of scary in a Sentence

a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards

a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow

Recent Examples on the Web

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant was carted off the field in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars after a vicious hit that was scary to look at. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 22 Dec. 2025

The actresses bring the (Pi Kappa Sigma) house down as sorority sisters plagued by anonymous phone calls, a simple but scary premise made bone-chilling by groundbreaking POV shots. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025

Nix is not Allen, the scariest player in the upcoming postseason. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 20 Dec. 2025

Tariffs transformed the global economy, consumer sentiment hit near-historic lows, and the stock market hit scary, spooky, blood-curdling new heights! —Darian Woods, NPR, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for scary

• aerie
• airy
• arie
• barre
• cherry
• clary
• dairy
• eyrie
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• ferry

Kids Definition

scary

adjective

ˈske(ə)r-ē 

ˈska(ə)r-

scarier; scariest

1

: causing fright : alarming

a scary movie

2

: easily scared : timid

3

: feeling alarm or fright : scared, frightened

scary feeling

scarily

-ə-lē 

adverb