scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary story
3
: feeling alarm or fright : frightened
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
Will Josi, at 35 and coming off a scary POTS diagnosis last season, still play like one of the best defensemen in the league?
—
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Count Dracula remains a fixture in the horror genre, having been featured in movies that range from scary and sexy to silly and satirical.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The women talked about the event in quiet tones, trading stories of their own near-misses when their children were small—the sorts of scary stories that become funny anecdotes after nothing bad happens, like the time Mollie’s baby fell off a sled on the way home from Fort Greene Park.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Horror fans often travel to destinations featured in scary movies or known for spooky legacies.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
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Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Count Dracula remains a fixture in the horror genre, having been featured in movies that range from scary and sexy to silly and satirical.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
The women talked about the event in quiet tones, trading stories of their own near-misses when their children were small—the sorts of scary stories that become funny anecdotes after nothing bad happens, like the time Mollie’s baby fell off a sled on the way home from Fort Greene Park.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Horror fans often travel to destinations featured in scary movies or known for spooky legacies.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scary. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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