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
Though falling into water might not sound all that scary, the real danger in Teahupo’o comes from the reef.
—
Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 2 Aug. 2024
The scariest moment isn’t when this fake hatemonger is preaching the gospel of insurrection.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2024
Something new is always going to register as scary in the brain before the brain gets comfortable with it.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2024
Navigating the dating scene is hard enough—doing so while living with a chronic digestive disease like ulcerative colitis (UC) can feel scary.
—Molly Dunham-Friel, Health, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary 
Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 2 Aug. 2024
The scariest moment isn’t when this fake hatemonger is preaching the gospel of insurrection.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2024
Something new is always going to register as scary in the brain before the brain gets comfortable with it.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2024
Navigating the dating scene is hard enough—doing so while living with a chronic digestive disease like ulcerative colitis (UC) can feel scary.
—Molly Dunham-Friel, Health, 1 Aug. 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 18 Aug. 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
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