scare tactics
Fear-based persuasion techniques
Scare tactics are methods of persuasion that use fear to influence behavior or opinion.
The term is almost always pejorative—people rarely describe their own warnings as scare tactics, but readily apply the label to opponents' messaging: Critics dismissed the campaign ads as scare tactics.
The phrase implies the fear is exaggerated or manufactured rather than warranted.
- threatsDeclarations of intended harm
- alarmismNeedless raising of fears
- doom and gloomPersistent negative outlook
- fearmongeringDeliberately spreading exaggerated threats
- fear campaignOrganized spreading of alarm
intimidation · coercion · guilt-tripping · bullying · terrorization · hard sell · fear · manipulation · emotional blackmail · pressure · gaslighting · hysteria · misinformation · reign of terror · loaded language · sensationalism · strongarm · propaganda
- intimidationthreats, threatening, menacing, intimidate, bullying
- coercionduress, coercing, compelling, threat, forcing
- emotional appealsguilt trip, flattery, nostalgia, outrage, heartstrings
- emotional rhetoricpathos, emotional appeal, appeals to emotion, loaded language, loaded words
- fearmongeringscaremongering, fearmongering, alarmism, panic spreading, doomsaying
- manipulation tacticsgaslighting, guilt trip, guilt-tripping, guilt tripping, emotional blackmail
scare tacticslogos
Brand identification symbols
logical argument · reasoned argument · rational discourse · Socratic dialogue · educational outreach
scare tacticsinformed consent
Permission given with understanding
scare, scared, tactics, scares, scaring, scarer, scarers, scariness