Dictionary › S › scary

scary

2 syllables · also scarier, scariest

adjective adverb noun

Quick answer

As an adjective, scary means causing fear or anxiety. As an adverb, it means a scary extent.

Meanings of scary

6 meanings

adjective

now chiefly informalCausing fear or anxiety
“The tiger's jaws were scary.”
“She was hiding behind her pillow during the scary parts of the film.”
informalUncannily striking or surprising.
“Linda changed her hair, and it’s scary how much she looks like her mother.”
UScolloquialSubject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.
Provoking fear or terror
“a scary movie”
“the most terrible and shuddery … tales of murder and revenge”
Similar: chilling, shivery, shuddery

adverb

informalTo a scary extent; scarily.

noun

Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).

scary around the world

USSubject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.

Synonyms by meaning

adjective: provoking fear or terror

chilling shiveryshuddery

Words that rhyme with scary

very marry harry larry jerry merry terry bury fairy cherry perry hairy ferry sherry berrykerry

For word games

s1

c3

a1

r1

y4

Scrabble & Words With Friends: valid word10 points before bonuses.Five letters: a possible Wordle answer.

Unscramble these letters

Nearby words

scarlet runner scarlet runner bean scarp scarper scarred scarring scat scathe scathing scatological scatology scatter