scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary story
3
: feeling alarm or fright : frightened
Examples of scary in a Sentence
a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards
a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow
Recent Examples on the Web
Talking about death doesn’t have to be scary, morbid or sad.
—
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
While the viral moment has spurred many memes, the moment was very scary for those who were involved.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Feb. 2026
Cocaine has many negative side effects, but the scariest one is overdoses.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026
In reality, people get away with really bad things and that’s one of the scary truths of the show.
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
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.
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
While the viral moment has spurred many memes, the moment was very scary for those who were involved.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Feb. 2026
Cocaine has many negative side effects, but the scariest one is overdoses.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 17 Feb. 2026
In reality, people get away with really bad things and that’s one of the scary truths of the show.
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scary
Cite this Entry
“Scary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scary. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scary
adjective
ˈske(ə)r-ē 
ˈska(ə)r-
scarier; scariest
1
: causing fright : alarming
a scary movie
2
: easily scared : timid
3
: feeling alarm or fright : scared, frightened
scary feeling
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
