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
Late in the film, Bowser also takes on a spooky skeletal form called Dry Bowser, which may be a tad too scary for the youngest moviegoers.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
With humility, however, not knowing is more interesting than scary.
—Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
The climate crisis, and what the government has redacted in terms of policy is even scarier.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
The exciting and the scary part of artificial intelligence is there are things the human brain will not be able to comprehend.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
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Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
With humility, however, not knowing is more interesting than scary.
—Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
The climate crisis, and what the government has redacted in terms of policy is even scarier.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
The exciting and the scary part of artificial intelligence is there are things the human brain will not be able to comprehend.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
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. 2026.
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
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