scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary story
2
: easily scared : timid
3
: feeling alarm or fright : frightened
scarily adverb

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
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.
The blend of physical locations with sets and digital imagery is seamless and the CG work on the creatures is first-rate, notably so in the scary climactic stretch when the lumbering D. Rex joins the fray. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025 This was in the days when only lunatics or scary white punks had shaved heads. Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 The 24-year-old is only going to get better, and that's a scary thing for the league. Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 What’s scary about that to me is that the hurricane made landfall on the west coast of Florida, so on the east coast, people let their guard down. Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for scary

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scary was in 1582

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scary. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

scary

adjective
ˈske(ə)r-ē How to pronounce scary (audio)
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
scarily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on scary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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