Synonyms of scary

scary

adjective

ˈsker-ē 

1

as in terrifying

causing fear

a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards

Synonyms & Similar Words

• terrifying
• frightening
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating
• alarming
• fearful
• dread
• shocking
• horrifying
• creepy
• eerie
• startling
• dreadful
• frightful
• ghastly
• gruesome
• eery
• fearsome
• troubling
• horrendous
• forbidding
• dire
• disturbing
• direful
• trying
• spine-chilling
• threatening
• hair-raising
• unnerving
• daunting
• redoubtable
• discouraging
• weird
• disconcerting
• dismaying
• disquieting
• demoralizing
• hideous
• perturbing
• distressing
• nightmarish
• awful
• grisly
• macabre
• appalling
• horrid
• monstrous
• bone-chilling
• atrocious
• grewsome

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• comforting
• relaxing
• soothing
• calming
• inviting
• tranquilizing
• consoling
• quieting
• nonthreatening
• tranquillizing
• lulling
• pacifying
• nonintimidating

2

as in timid

easily frightened

a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• timid
• fearful
• shy
• scared
• terrified
• afraid
• yellow
• timorous
• fearsome
• fainthearted
• mousy
• tremulous
• mousey
• startled
• panicked
• skittish
• anxious
• spooky
• apprehensive
• cowardly
• dastardly
• nervous
• alarmed
• craven
• spooked
• unheroic
• pusillanimous
• gutless
• jumpy
• horrified
• panicky
• shocked
• chicken
• jittery
• spineless
• chickenhearted
• unnerved
• milk-livered
• lily-livered
• chicken-livered
• poltroon
• terrorized
• panic-stricken

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• daring
• adventurous
• bold
• brave
• audacious
• courageous
• fearless
• hardy
• gutsy
• heroic
• confident
• venturesome
• dauntless
• dashing
• valiant
• intrepid
• undaunted
• stout
• gallant
• adventuresome
• stalwart
• venturous
• valorous
• assured
• unflinching
• determined
• heroical
• firm
• game
• resolute
• greathearted
• plucky
• undeterred
• spirited
• stouthearted
• lionhearted
• spunky
• unswerving
• doughty
• self-assured
• self-confident
• mettlesome

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

• scared
• afraid
• frightened
• terrified
• horrified
• fearful
• shocked
• alarmed
• worried
• hysteric
• spooked
• aghast
• hysterical
• upset
• startled
• nervous
• panicked
• affrighted
• terrorized
• anxious
• apprehensive
• timid
• horror-struck
• appalled
• panicky
• disturbed
• fearsome
• timorous
• phobic
• shrinking
• fainthearted
• jumpy
• funky
• uneasy
• perturbed
• cautious
• agitated
• tremulous
• wary
• jittery
• disquieted
• shy
• careful
• intimidated
• disconcerted
• daunted
• coward
• panic-stricken
• unnerved
• chicken
• cowardly
• skittish
• dismayed
• cowed
• pusillanimous
• craven
• gutless
• unadventurous
• tremulant
• prudent
• heedful
• lily-livered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fearless
• unafraid
• daring
• adventurous
• bold
• brave
• audacious
• spirited
• courageous
• gutsy
• spunky
• adventuresome
• heroic
• plucky
• venturesome
• sure
• daredevil
• cool
• hardy
• dashing
• confident
• intrepid
• valiant
• stout
• collected
• gallant
• composed
• venturous
• stalwart
• valorous
• sanguine
• unperturbed
• assured
• heroical
• dauntless
• undaunted
• resolute
• stouthearted
• manful
• lionhearted

Try This Instead

For

Try This

a scary movie

a terrifying movie

a spooky movie

a freaky movie

a nightmarish movie

a paranormal movie

a scary thought

a terrifying thought

a horrifying thought

a frightening thought

a chilling thought

a horrible thought

scary stories

spooky stories

creepy stories

ghostly stories

frightening stories

freaky stories

a scary time

a terrifying time

a dangerous time

a frightening time

a worrisome time

a traumatic time

a scary situation

a terrifying situation

a dangerous situation

a frightening situation

a bad situation

a crazy situation

Examples of scary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anything that isn’t labeled is either scary or rejected because everything has to be placed in a box and defined. —Max Gao, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024

On some level, a thing that goes bump in the night is scarier than an elaborate origin story for what the thing is. —James Grebey, TIME, 16 Aug. 2024

And what Simu is able to do so masterfully is be real and be scary, but be funny at the same time. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2024

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index jumped 1.6% for its fourth-best day of the year and its sixth straight gain as the U.S. stock market rights itself after a scary few weeks. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024