scare

1 of 2

verb

scared; scaring

transitive verb

: to frighten especially suddenly : alarm
scarer noun

scare

2 of 2

noun

1
: a sudden fright
2
: a widespread state of alarm : panic
scare adjective

Examples of scare in a Sentence

Verb You scared me. I didn't see you there. Stop that, you're scaring the children. Noun There have been scares about the water supply being contaminated. fired over their heads in order to throw a scare into them
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.
Verb
All these precautions are not meant to scare people, Tetro and Gerba said, but to inform. Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025 Because these WMAs are designed to provide two conflicting services — to maintain wildlife habitat and to offer recreation, including hunting opportunities that may scare the birds away — no one really knows how the resident geese perceive the situation. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
The health scare delayed the production of Back in Action, which was originally expected to release in November. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2025 There are several reasons why the Broncos can stay in this game and give the Bills a scare. Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for scare 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English skerren, from Old Norse skirra, from skjarr shy, timid

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scare was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near scare

Cite this Entry

“Scare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scare. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

scare

1 of 2 verb
ˈske(ə)r How to pronounce scare (audio)
ˈska(ə)r
scared; scaring
1
: to frighten suddenly : alarm
2
: to become scared

scare

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sudden fright
2
: a widespread state of alarm : panic

More from Merriam-Webster on scare

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!