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
Cosplaying Cartman and scary cyclists Cosplayers can spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to create their fanciful costumes.
—
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Ahead of the Grand Prix of Alabama, an IndyCar driver walked away from a scary crash that prompted an emergency response.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The unknowns are really what’s scariest, said Veriten founder and CEO Maynard Holt.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
What could be scarier than that?
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Ahead of the Grand Prix of Alabama, an IndyCar driver walked away from a scary crash that prompted an emergency response.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026
The unknowns are really what’s scariest, said Veriten founder and CEO Maynard Holt.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
What could be scarier than that?
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
Adjective
-
The terrifying cadence of airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Their smaller counterparts, alpacas, are more timid and shy, but the more independent ones that aren't afraid to be away from the herd do well as therapy animals.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
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Jerusalem, timid about the prospect of a land invasion, can only respond with more airstrikes until the regime hits its breaking point and the people rise up.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Employees felt unsafe coming to work; customers were scared to leave their homes.—
David Farley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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Hearts have melted online after a scared rescue dog bravely faced her fear in order to join her owner, with many viewers praising her unquestionable courage and determination.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The measure passed the Senate 89-10 but now faces a challenging path in the House of Representatives, where Republicans, who have the majority, are fearful of being forced into a bad deal.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
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Singh, however, argued that Jones was not coerced but fearful of the consequences.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The problem, at its core, is that people have been afraid to leave their homes to go to work as a result of the ICE surge.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, some staff members, other career officials say, are afraid to voice dissenting views for fear of being fired.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yahoo will be competing against a familiar foil in Google, which remains the same formidable force that spelled the company's demise 20 years ago and has been progressively layering more AI into its search engine with its Gemini technology.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Then finding the players who can execute them has made UConn the sport’s most formidable force.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Chesney became frightened, scaled the enclosure wall and hopped over the fence.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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Scared and frightened, the only way to relieve the pain is to sell.—
,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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