scare

1 of 2

verb

scared; scaring

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
More 'scares' inevitable The strategist also raised his 2025 S & P 500 year-end forecast to 6,250 from 5,600, which had been the lowest current-year target on the Street. Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025 Walking into rooms that scared me. Shelley Zalis, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
Bobby is behind several scares every time Elizabeth gets close to uncovering the truth. EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025 One of the scare zones—the outdoor walk-through scenes filled with set pieces, scareactors and plenty of special effects fog—is The Catlady of Crooked Lane, where a sinister witch is turning neighborhood kids into evil cats. Julie Tremaine, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 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

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scare was in the 13th century

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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