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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scary
How scary is 'Lee Cronin's The Mummy'?
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
My grandmother keeps her resentments just below boiling—somehow scarier when fully in control.
—Adriana E. Ramírez, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Sounds really scary, but do not fret.
—New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2026
Preparations Nighttime severe weather can be understandably scary.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
My grandmother keeps her resentments just below boiling—somehow scarier when fully in control.
—Adriana E. Ramírez, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Sounds really scary, but do not fret.
—New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2026
Preparations Nighttime severe weather can be understandably scary.
—Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
Adjective
-
Some of his acts are dangerous or terrifying.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage during a performance — a terrifying moment that could have ended her career.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla star as two fifty-something men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So Tristian stood, waiting for his moment, preparing himself to do what everyone else was too scared to do.—
Empress Rasheem,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
-
People are scared, at the bottom line.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Beats that might once have been framed through a hazy, absurdist lens now play as something much more fatalistic and frightening.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Forget about sonic or other frightening devices.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When Kennedy spreads fear, parents become fearful and often refuse vaccines, and herd immunity begins to crack.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Her Catherine is less defined by the quirky, appealing eccentricities of Mary-Louise Parker’s performance in the original 2000 Broadway staging, but is girded by a certain angry resignation, fearful of what life might have in store, furious too, yet seething with a will to defy it all.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Maybe a lot of producers are Melissas, afraid of the present, looking toward a past that never really existed.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Miami is exceptionally good at finding role players , so don’t be afraid to trade a Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr, etc.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Housed in a building with a dimpled façade that many say looks like a cheese grater, the Broad houses the collection of Edythe Broad, who accumulated a formidable cache of contemporary art with her late husband Eli.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
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Homages to Chile’s formidable troika are among the record 10 the festival has planned for this edition, said festival director Estrella Araiza.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Soapy Water Stink bugs tend to drop when frightened, so fill a cup with soapy water and hold it under the stink bug.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
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Their height and heft frightened and thrilled spectators, earning dinosaurs a permanent place in the public imagination, Coules said.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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