scare

1 of 2

verb

scared; scaring
Synonyms of scarenext

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm
scarer noun

scare

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples of scare in a Sentence

Verb You scared me. I didn't see you there. Stop that, you're scaring the children. Noun 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
City Council should refuse to be intimidated and not let Webb scare them from using it to help Chicago and its citizens. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 That's not a company that needs to scare off millions of loyal customers with a brutal price rise. Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Noun
According to the Independent, the opening episodes of the fifth season centered on Clarkson's October 2024 heart health scare and his recovery from emergency surgery. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026 Jennifer Lopez reflected on a health scare early in her career that reshaped her approach to work-life balance. Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 18 June 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

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

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

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