# scare the life out of

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/scare-the-life-out-of
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To scare something or someone to a great degree.

## Examples

- That loud noise really scared the life out of me.
- The sudden crash in the kitchen scared the life out of the cat, who ran under the sofa.
- The unexpected arrival of the police at midnight scared the life out of the residents, who had been sleeping soundly until that moment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.