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scare definition

scare (sker)

transitive verb scared, scaring scar′·ing

to fill with fear or terror; esp., to frighten suddenly or startle; terrify

Etymology: ME skerren < ON skirra, to scare, make timid < skjarr, timid, prob. < IE base *(s)ker-, to jump > L scurra, buffoon

intransitive verb

to become frightened, esp. suddenly a person who scares easily

noun

  1. a sudden fear or panic; attack of fright, often unreasonable
  2. a state of widespread fear or panic a war scare

Etymology: ME skerre < the v.

scare Idioms

scare away

or scare off
to drive away or off by frightening

scare up

☆
Informal to produce or gather quickly

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms scare idiom

scare Synonyms

scare

n.

fright, terror, alarm; see fear 1.


scare

v.

panic, terrify, alarm; see frighten 1. See syn. study at frighten.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

scare Usage Examples

Object

  • hell: Regardless of actual party politics, it is the creeping erosion of norms which scares the hell out of me.

Converse of object

  • survive: Soon afterward Tranmere survived the first major scare in their own goal-mouth.

Adjective modifier

  • Red: The paranoia over Bolshevism, the " Red Scare " of 1919, engendered an atmosphere of mistrust and intolerance in American society.

Noun used with modifier

  • anthrax: Recent anthrax scares in the US have shown the dangers of covert chemical warfare.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • off: They are urging Rover workers to take no further action in case it scares off a possible buyer.

Modifies a noun

  • mongering: Despite all the scare mongering about rent, they need to acquire more space.
scare usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"scare." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/scare>

APA Style

scare. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/scare

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