scare
Jolt with dread
Scare is sudden fear or alarm, or something that causes it: a bomb scare, quite a scare.
As a verb, to scare is to frighten: The noise scared me.
To scare up something is to find or gather it with effort: We scared up enough chairs for everyone.
Scary is the adjective.
A scarecrow is a decoy figure meant to frighten birds from crops.
Cause sudden alarm
- startleFrighten suddenly
- alarmUrgent warning signal
- terrifyCause extreme fright
- spookApparition or frighten
unnerve · shock · jolt · petrify · panic · intimidate · menace · daunt
Violent sudden disturbance
ambush · sudden · unexpected · catch off guard · blindside · sneak up · pop out · surprise attack
Troubled mental state
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- trepidationFearful uncertainty
dread · tension · panic · jitters · fearfulness · angst · disquiet · edginess
Carved pumpkin with light
- costumeClothing for portrayal
- haunted houseDwelling believed spirit-inhabited
- ghostApparition of the dead
- witchPractitioner of dark arts
vampire · zombie · skeleton · trick-or-treat · pumpkin · monster · bat · spider
frighten
Cause sudden alarm
spook · unnerve · shock · jolt · petrify · panic · intimidate · menace · daunt · dismay
shock
Violent sudden disturbance
jump · ambush · sudden · unexpected · catch off guard · blindside · sneak up · pop out · surprise attack · prank
worry
Troubled mental state
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
- uneaseMild persistent worry
trepidation · dread · tension · panic · jitters · fearfulness · angst · disquiet · edginess · restlessness
jack-o'-lantern
Carved pumpkin with light
- costumeClothing for portrayal
- haunted houseDwelling believed spirit-inhabited
- ghostApparition of the dead
witch · vampire · zombie · skeleton · trick-or-treat · pumpkin · monster · bat · spider · cobweb
deter
Prevent through intimidation
- ward offActively prevent approach
- repelDrive off or disgust
- discourageDiminish someone's confidence
dissuade · prevent · keep away · drive off · chase off · fend off · put off · intimidate · threaten · decoy
macabre
Disturbing, death-obsessed
- ghoulishFascinated by death grotesquely
- nightmareFrightening dream causing wakefulness
- eerieDisturbingly strange
haunting · chilling · monstrous · gruesome · sinister · spectral · morbid · gothic · uncanny · creepy
- fearfear, dread, afraid, fright, frightened
- close callsclose call, near miss, narrow escape, close shave, nick of time
- fear reactionsscream, gasp, terrified, flinch, panicked
- intimidationthreats, threatening, menacing, intimidate, bullying
- thrillsroller coasters, thrill, adrenaline, skydiving, bungee jump
- stunstun, daze, shock, stupefy, stagger
scarecourage
Fortitude facing danger
bravery · fearlessness · boldness · confidence · nerve
- scared to deathExtremely frightened
- scared stiffImmobilized by extreme fright
- scare offCause to flee
- scared offFrightened into leaving
- scare someone to deathFrighten to the extreme
- scared shitlessExtremely, viscerally afraid
scary, scared, scarecrow, scares, scaring, scarecrows, scarer, scaredest, scaremonger