scare the pants off
Frighten someone silly
To scare the pants off someone is to frighten them intensely: That movie scared the pants off me.
The idiom suggests fear so extreme it could make someone jump out of their clothes.
Despite the image, the phrase is mild and playful rather than vulgar.
- frightenCause sudden alarm
- terrifyCause extreme fright
- intimidateInstill fear to control
- startleFrighten suddenly
- alarmUrgent warning signal
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