scaring the shit out of
Thoroughly alarming someone
Scaring the shit out of someone means frightening them intensely—so badly they might lose control of their bowels.
The phrase is vulgar but extremely common: That movie scared the shit out of me.
Often softened to scaring the crap out of or scaring the daylights out of.
The construction works with other verbs: bore the shit out of, beat the shit out of, annoy the shit out of.
- haunted houseDwelling believed spirit-inhabited
- bump in the nightUnexplained nighttime disturbance
- fight-or-flightAcute threat reaction
- terrorExtreme, overwhelming fear
- frightSudden intense fear
blood run cold · adrenaline rush · hair standing up · panic · cold sweat · trauma response · night terrors · hypervigilance · thriller genre · shock · alarm · stress response · horror · startle · dread · ghost story · phobia · heart-stopping
scaring the shit out ofunderwhelming
Failing to meet expectations
scaring the shit out ofreassuring
Restoring calm or confidence
comforting · soothing · calming · relaxing · lulling
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