scare

1 of 3

verb

ˈsker How to pronounce scare (audio)
scared; scaring
Synonyms of scare

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm

intransitive verb

: to become scared
scarer noun

scare

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a sudden fright
2
: a widespread state of alarm : panic
scare adjective

scarer

3 of 3

noun (2)

scar·​er
ˈskerə(r), 
ˈska(a)r-
plural -s
: one that scares
rooks … haunted the newly sown fields, and rose in clouds at the scarers shout—Adrian Bell

Synonyms of scare

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Verb

Noun (1)

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Examples of scare in a Sentence

Verb You scared me. I didn't see you there. Stop that, you're scaring the children. Noun (1) There have been scares about the water supply being contaminated. fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
By his own admission, his earliest stories and poems scared teachers. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 Using them to scare off farm bugs pushes nanotechnology into completely uncharted territory. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
Hannah is in rehab and will undergo further testing, but at this time the cause of her medical scare remains a mystery. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 The cross-country move was prompted by a serious health scare back in March when Hilton was hospitalized for 21 days with sepsis caused by a perforated ulcer. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scare

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English skerren, from Old Norse skirra, from skjarr shy, timid

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (1)

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scare was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing scare

Rhymes for scare

See All Rhymes for scare

Browse Nearby Words

scarcity economics
scare
scare away/off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

scare

1 of 2 verb
ˈske(ə)r How to pronounce scare (audio)
ˈska(ə)r
scared; scaring
1
: to frighten suddenly : alarm
2
: to become scared

scare

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden fright
2
: a widespread state of alarm : panic

More from Merriam-Webster on scare

Nglish: Translation of scare for Spanish Speakers

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