scare the daylights out of
Cause extreme terror
To scare the daylights out of someone is to frighten them severely—so thoroughly that their wits seem to leave them.
The daylights are an old term for eyes or vital essence; the phrase suggests fright so intense it might knock the life out of you: That horror movie scared the daylights out of me.
Beat, knock, and other violent verbs substitute for scare with similar effect.
- scare the pants offFrighten someone intensely
- jumpPropel oneself airborne
- jump scareAbrupt frightening moment
- startleFrighten suddenly
- intimidateInstill fear to control
frighten · alarm · petrify · white as a sheet · panic · terrify · boogeyman · bump in the night · chill · horrify · daunt · freeze · fear · scare · consternation · spook · monster · scream