1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scared
filled with fear or dread
I got a little scary when I heard the noise in the basement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scary
Return to it too many times over too many years, and that feeling might turn out to be the scariest monster of all.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Even expert surfers have encountered scary situations during the swell.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
That’s scary and always has been.
—Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
That has changed of late, only to have those thirsty for big V-8 engines get bitten by scary-high gas prices.
—Matt Degen, AJC.com, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Even expert surfers have encountered scary situations during the swell.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
That’s scary and always has been.
—Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
That has changed of late, only to have those thirsty for big V-8 engines get bitten by scary-high gas prices.
—Matt Degen, AJC.com, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
Adjective
-
The series follows the residents of a remote island town called Widow’s Bay, just off the coast of New England, that just so happens to be cursed and haunted with all manner of terrifying things.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
The premise sees the town’s citizens coming around a campfire and spilling the beans on some of most terrifying deeds.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
In her early public appearances, she was often seen with her head bowed and her gaze upward, a posture that, alongside her soft-spoken demeanor, led the British press to characterize her as timid and reserved.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
David Fine as Scorpius does an enormous amount of heavy lifting by injecting urgency and pathos, despite his character’s timid personality.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Children are generally afraid of ghosts, so telling them to be scared of larger bodies is deeply problematic.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
People seem to still go to the movies for the communal experience of being scared.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
What began as a quiet evening quickly turned frightening after the couple climbed onto the jetty rocks to look for shells and crabs.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
By the time of The Social Reckoning, a website that was once used to rate the attractiveness of women has gone on to disrupt global politics on a frightening scale.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Coming down from the peak of the AIDS crisis, LGBTQ+ community members were fearful of coming out of the closet through the 1990s due to the ongoing stigma facing homosexuality.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
-
Pashinyan also repeatedly sought to soothe those fearful of severing ties with Russia, Armenia’s historical protector.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ridge Vineyards is rooted in tradition but not afraid to change with the times.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The main character, Holly, belongs to a group of people — or perhaps a generation — afraid that life is always happening somewhere else.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
After another solid season in 2021, injuries and sub-par play eventually led to an exit from the NFL, but Robinson has made a pretty formidable case for a return with his play in his UFL debut campaign.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
After the arrests, children in her van became frightened and initially refused to get out.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
11 June 2026
-
Flavia Pupo, a manager at a hotel in Pinar del Río, told AP that the shaking rattled the building and frightened people in the area.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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