scary

adjective

ˈsker-ē How to pronounce scary (audio)
Definition of scarynext
1
as in terrifying
causing fear a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow

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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

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.
Recent Examples of scary France’s starting lineup is scary and their depth isn’t any less terrifying, and this is without Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike who is currently sidelined through injury. — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 4 July 2026 And that's a scary place to be with Carter's love woes and the cartel coming to town. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Kurt's key takeaways The scary part here is how ordinary this can look. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 As chief fireworks advisor for FidoAlert, Huffstetler knows how scary Fourth of July can be for animals. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
  1. terrifying
  2. timid
  3. scared
  4. frightening
  5. fearful
  6. afraid
  7. formidable
  8. frightened
Adjective
  • But getting that fissile material off the launchpad safely remains a terrifying engineering hurdle.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
  • After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides with Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 July 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • But where the Baron is timid and bumbling, Krasznahorkai is expansive, charming, and courtly.
    — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
  • Playing Mary Bennet — Elizabeth’s younger and more timid sister — Bruccoleri set out to portray the coming of age story of a Regency woman.
    — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 25 June 2026
Definition of timid
Adjective
  • The Cubs haven’t been scared of taking pitchers who have had that procedure in their history or even missing some of their draft year because of it.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • This result, though—an impotent, scared team that is clearly not ready for the moment—feels like two steps forward and one very large step back.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Obviously there’s day to day stuff but to me, that’s just another frightening thing about being trapped in a system.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Cortlandt Koerwitz/Instagram A family's Fourth of July outing took a frightening turn when a bear charged at a father outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home after startling his daughters.
    — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • With many fearful for their safety as US bombs fell from Iran’s nighttime skies with no warning, there was far more open hostility on the street.
    — Frederik Pleitgen, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Neighbors feel less safe with ICE around The latest incident has angered the Latino community in Houston and has left others fearful.
    — Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 10 July 2026
Definition of fearful
Adjective
  • If your bathroom has a basic flush mount, don’t be afraid to replace it with something more eye-catching, like a sputnik chandelier or a lantern pendant.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026
  • People shouldn’t be afraid, Hammerschlag says, because human-shark encounters are extremely rare—you’re statistically more likely to be killed by lightning.
    — Sam Nichols, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • England faces a formidable challenge against Mexico in the FIFA World Cup knockout round, playing at Estadio Azteca, 7,220 feet above sea level.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • However, there is arguably no matchup currently more daunting than a game against this formidable France side.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • The bear, seemingly frightened, quickly turns away from the boy and continues running, sliding under a boat parked in the driveway.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In May, a frightened horse rammed into another carriage, causing the vehicle to flip over, injuring the driver.
    — ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026
Definition of frightened

Browse Nearby Words

scars
scary
scat
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Cite this Entry

“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of scary for Spanish Speakers

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