scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary story
3
: feeling alarm or fright : frightened
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
Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
—
Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The Athletic’s Steve Madeley has produced a slightly scary overview of the 16 months before the next World Cup starts.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Now, a scary blood clot issue has shut down the 6-foot-2 Weber State product indefinitely, mere weeks before the April 19 start of the 2024-25 playoffs.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
The format was scary for both the directors and the performers.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
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.
Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The Athletic’s Steve Madeley has produced a slightly scary overview of the 16 months before the next World Cup starts.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Now, a scary blood clot issue has shut down the 6-foot-2 Weber State product indefinitely, mere weeks before the April 19 start of the 2024-25 playoffs.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
The format was scary for both the directors and the performers.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scary. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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