1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scared
filled with fear or dread
I got a little scary when I heard the noise in the basement
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a scary movie
a scary thought
a terrifying thought
a horrifying thought
a frightening thought
a chilling thought
a horrible thought
scary stories
a scary time
a scary situation
a terrifying situation
a dangerous situation
a frightening situation
a bad situation
a crazy situation
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scary
Being in an emergency without a way to contact your family or 911 is a scary thought.
—
Cody Goodwin, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
Whitfield’s men do, indeed, return after dark, bolstered by fire and scarier guns.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025
Maybe my favorite Ryan Coogler movie — so scary and thoughtful and emotional and bold.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Apr. 2025
Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
—Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
Cody Goodwin, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
Whitfield’s men do, indeed, return after dark, bolstered by fire and scarier guns.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025
Maybe my favorite Ryan Coogler movie — so scary and thoughtful and emotional and bold.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Apr. 2025
Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
—Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Prehistoric insects encased in amber reveal a terrifying evolutionary road that dead-ended sometime after the mid-Cretaceous period.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Underdogs don't come much more awkward than Carrie White (so memorably played by Sissy Spacek), the timid, tragic heroine of Brian De Palma's freaky Stephen King adaptation.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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More timid than her siblings, Sheryl told Arcadia News that Sonora refused to dance at her first recital.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Three minors heard gunfire and believed they had been fired at, and were scared of being shot, wrote Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Walls.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Apr. 2025
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For those who have been scared to shift away from grays and creams, these shades offer an ideal compromise.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Good news California began trying to police ghost guns after those frightening findings came out, enacting legislation in both 2022 and 2023 to curtail their unregulated sales.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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But the bloodshed that unfolded March 6-10 in Latakia and Tartous represents a frightening escalation.—
Chris Massaro,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Historically, a company that is fearful about its cash generation in the near term probably wouldn’t be authorizing a new repurchase program.—
Matthew J. Belvedere,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2025
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Military leaders fearful of losing their jobs or of being marginalized will have few incentives to advise their superiors on the risks or costs of military operations that are at odds with the Trump administration’s priorities.—
Risa Brooks,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Will Poulter has never been afraid to get rough on screen and the same apparently applies to his work process as well.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
6 Apr. 2025
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And most importantly, surround yourself with other women who think big, talk money openly, and aren’t afraid to build serious wealth.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In the great-power competition with the United States’ adversaries, none is more formidable than the Chinese Communist Party.—
Arthur Herman,
National Review,
3 Apr. 2025
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Tyler Glasnow is formidable on the mound when healthy.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The family is frightened, but the soldiers aren’t there to terrorize them.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
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Financial markets have crashed, consumers are frightened, and deals are paralyzed.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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