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scare

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scare¹

  • /skɛə/ UK
  • /skɛɚ/ US
  • /skɪə(ɹ)/ dialectal
  • /skeː/ Australia
  • /skeə/ New Zealand
  • /skiə/
  • /skeɹ/ Scotland
  • /skɜː(ɹ)/

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English sker, skere (“terror, fright”), from the verb Middle English skerren (“to frighten”) (see below).

noun scares

  1. A minor fright. Johnny had a bad scare last night.
  2. A cause of terror or alarm; a panic; something that inspires fear or dread. a food-poisoning scare
  3. A device or object used to frighten. But I admit the possibility of their being used as "scares" for either birds of prey or snakes, or both.

Similar: fright

scare²

  • /skɛə/ UK
  • /skɛɚ/ US
  • /skɪə(ɹ)/ dialectal
  • /skeː/ Australia
  • /skeə/ New Zealand
  • /skiə/
  • /skeɹ/ Scotland
  • /skɜː(ɹ)/

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

From Middle English scaren, skaren, scarren, skeren, skerren, from Old Norse skirra (“to frighten; to shrink away from, shun; to prevent, avert”), from Proto-Germanic *skirzijaną (“to shoo, scare off”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to swing, jump, move”). Related to Old Norse skjarr (“timid, shy, afraid of”). Cognate with Scots skar (“wild, timid, shy”), dialectal Norwegian Nynorsk skjerra, dialectal Swedish skjarra and possibly Old Armenian ցիռ (cʻiṙ, “wild ass”), Ancient Greek σκαίρω (skaírō, “to frolic”).

verb scares · scaring · scared

  1. transitive To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way. Did it scare you when I said "Boo!"?
  2. intransitive (To be able) to be scared. I don't scare easily.

Similar: frighten, terrify

scare³

  • /skɛə/ UK
  • /skɛɚ/ US
  • /skɪə(ɹ)/ dialectal
  • /skeː/ Australia
  • /skeə/ New Zealand
  • /skiə/
  • /skeɹ/ Scotland
  • /skɜː(ɹ)/

Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)

adjective more scare · most scare

  1. lean; scanty

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: affright, scare off, frighten, fright, daunt, panic attack, pall, dash, panic, frighten away, frighten off, scare away, afraid, scary, terrify, fear

noun

Similar: fright

verb

Similar: frighten, terrify

Translations

Every language

noun minor fright

Españolsusto
日本語怯え obie, 恐怖 kyōfu
中文驚嚇 /惊吓 jīngxià, 吃驚 /吃惊 chījīng, 驚懼 /惊惧 jīngjù
Kiswahiliukalili
Portuguêssusto
Françaispeur
DeutschSchreck
Italianotimore
Ελληνικάφοβίζω fovízo
Русскийиспу́г ispúg, страх strax, па́ника pánika

noun something that inspires fear

日本語恐怖 kyōfu, 脅威 kyōi
Kiswahiliukalili
Italianospavento, paura
Русскийпу́гало púgalo, жу́пел žúpel

verb to frighten

Españolasustar, atemorizar, espantar, amedrentar, amedrantar, dar miedo
한국어놀래키다 nollaekida
日本語威かす odokasu, 驚かす odorokasu
中文嚇唬 /吓唬 xiàhu, 使害怕 shǐ hàipà
हिन्दीडराना ḍarānā
Kiswahiliukalili
Portuguêsassustar
Françaiseffrayer
Deutscherschrecken, beängstigen, ängstigen
Italianospaventare, impaurire, spaurire
Ελληνικάτρομάζω tromázo, φοβίζω fovízo
Românăsperia, înspăimânta
Русскийпуга́ть pugátʹ, испуга́ть ispugátʹ, напуга́ть napugátʹ, страши́ть strašítʹ, устраша́ть ustrašátʹ
العربيةأَفْزَعَ ʔafzaʕa

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MLA

"scare." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/scare. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

scare. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/scare

Chicago

"scare." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/scare.

BibTeX
@misc{scare_2026,
  title = {scare},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/scare},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}