scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary story
3
: feeling alarm or fright : frightened
Synonyms
Examples of scary in a Sentence
a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards
a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow
Recent Examples on the Web
What follows is edge-of-your-seat, wholly original storytelling that ranks among the best scary movies of the past year.
—
Will Harris, EW.com, 12 July 2024
Or, at the least, living through some very strange and scary times.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024
The stories are spooky enough to satisfy horror readers, but not scary enough that a non-horror reader wouldn't enjoy it too.
—American Booksellers Association, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024
The command of atmospheric tension Robert Eggers demonstrated in his own debut is not much evidenced here, making for a middling supernatural drama that’s never terribly convincing, or scary.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary 
Will Harris, EW.com, 12 July 2024
Or, at the least, living through some very strange and scary times.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024
The stories are spooky enough to satisfy horror readers, but not scary enough that a non-horror reader wouldn't enjoy it too.
—American Booksellers Association, USA TODAY, 12 July 2024
The command of atmospheric tension Robert Eggers demonstrated in his own debut is not much evidenced here, making for a middling supernatural drama that’s never terribly convincing, or scary.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scary
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scary. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scary
adjective
ˈske(ə)r-ē 
ˈska(ə)r-
scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary movie
2
: easily scared : timid
3
: feeling alarm or fright : scared, frightened
scary feeling
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share