scary

[ skair-ee ]

adjective

, scar·i·er, scar·i·est.

1. causing fright or alarm.
2. easily frightened; timid.

scary

/ ˈskɛərɪ /

adjective

1. causing fear or alarm; frightening
2. easily roused to fear; timid

Word History and Origins

Origin of scary¹

First recorded in 1575–85; scare + -y ¹

Example Sentences

They were virulent and undeniably scary.

From Salon

“We would have been able to diagnose our son much earlier if we had any clues because he was 12 when he was diagnosed. At that time I didn’t know much about autism at all and it was a very scary and stressful time for us and it was scary for him too. This show will go a very long way in helping to alleviate that fear.”

From Los Angeles Times

It's reminiscent of Elon Musk's Texas compound, where he can play out his fantasies of being a feudal king behind walls that shield him from the scary real world.

From Salon

“It is a very lonely and scary time in the beginning. I wanted to try and make it a little less lonely and a little less scary. Especially while everything else is going on in the world.”

From Los Angeles Times

The scary part is that Douglas was close to joining Etiwanda, playing with the Eagles during the summer before changing her mind and enrolling at Ontario Christian.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alarming
• chilling
• creepy
• eerie
• hairy
• horrifying
• intimidating
• shocking
• spooky