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.
While this can be scary, none of these should be concerning as all cruise ships are tested in storm-like conditions and the rocking mechanisms are designed to stabilize the ship against rough water. Devika Rao, theweek, 19 Nov. 2024 Sign up here For me, the scariest part of this discovery is that BFRs have been banned in the U.S. since 2004. Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024 The scary part was my mind racing off regarding the unpredictable rough air. Jim Clash, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 Beyoncé knows what the real scariest day of the year is. Michael Savio, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near scary

Cite this Entry

“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scary. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!