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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of scary
While the unknown is scary, there is magic in transforming and becoming a better version of ourselves.
—
Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 10 Jan. 2025
But to actually see flames in my yard was very scary and very surreal.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2025
That can make people feel trapped and vulnerable, which is scary.
—James Barron, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Obsessing over every scary headline will not change that reality.
—Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary 
Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 10 Jan. 2025
But to actually see flames in my yard was very scary and very surreal.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2025
That can make people feel trapped and vulnerable, which is scary.
—James Barron, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Obsessing over every scary headline will not change that reality.
—Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scary
Adjective
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What’s more terrifying than losing control of your physical and mental self as your most primal, animalistic instincts take the wheel?David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
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The stability and flexibility around Josh Allen makes for a terrifying formula.Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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From Dickinson to Colton Dach, who was making his NHL debut, to Nolan Allan and much of the lineup, the Blackhawks weren’t timid.Scott Powers, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
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Usually, a player who has been injured for that long will come in and be timid and not want to do anything too crazy.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Read Next Florida Shelter thought dog was scared — but something else was wrong.Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
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Advertisement Thirty years ago, Blake was himself a scared kid.Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The glorious few who still worry about the decline of Palm Beach society speculated wildly that Trump was planning to legalize gambling and build a casino, or — the truly frightening possibility — subdivide his acreage and sell houses.Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
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In a cast full of mothers, the women are naturally sympathetic, triggered by the idea that something that frightening could happen to them too – only to be a little flummoxed at the full picture as more details started to come out.Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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His lack of regard for democratic and institutional norms is overlooked by a large part of the population, and certain friendly and fearful media players.Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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In the later stages of the disease, deer become starved, weak and less fearful of humans.Sophie Hartley, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In need of a way to raise funds, but afraid of the political consequences of implementing new taxes, state lawmakers opted to experiment with a lottery.Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
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Some children might regress to an earlier stage of development, becoming afraid of going to school and leaving their parents.Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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So the panel is top tier and should be a formidable alternative to the QD-OLED display used in Samsung’s respective 2025 flagship, the S95F. OLED TVs just keep getting brighter, more vivid, and dazzling — and consumers really can’t go wrong with any of them.Chris Welch, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025
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Someone, anyone, needs to step up and take the reins here, as the Flyers have looked formidable otherwise.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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For the 34th time in two years cops have been called by frightened neighbors or Hollis herself to quell the volcanic quarrels inside Peppermill Apartments unit B-312.Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
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My friends were confused by my abrupt stop and the frightened and befuddled look on my face — except for one, whose eyes were also bulging wide.Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near scary
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scary. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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