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
Halloween can certainly be entertaining, but also a very confusing and scary time for pets.
—
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
For a whole generation of kids, nothing was scarier — or more fun — than cracking open a Goosebumps book.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
There is a lot of scary information on the web.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Read your credit report Credit reports are inherently scary.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
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.
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
For a whole generation of kids, nothing was scarier — or more fun — than cracking open a Goosebumps book.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
There is a lot of scary information on the web.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Read your credit report Credit reports are inherently scary.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 26 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 4 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share