ENGLISH
REFERENCE

scare the living daylights out of

idiom
Meaning

To scare something or someone to a large degree.


Examples
SIMPLE

That loud noise scared the living daylights out of me.

CONTEXTUAL

The sudden crash in the kitchen scared the living daylights out of the cat.

COMPLEX

The unexpected appearance of the stranger in the dark hallway scared the living daylights out of everyone in the house.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beat the daylights out of

    To beat (someone) severely.

  2. 02

    don't call me sir, I work for a living

    Used by senior enlisted military personnel to indicate that they are not commissioned officers.

  3. 03

    knock the living daylights out of

    To beat or strike someone.

  4. 04

    living death

    A condition of suffering, solitude, or impairment so extreme as to deprive one's existence of all happiness and meaning.

  5. 05

    living end

    The most extreme form of something or the final and most impactful development in a series of events — whether favorable or unfavorable

  6. 06

    living proof

    A real-life person or thing which demonstrates the validity of a hypothesis.

  7. 07

    scare someone to death

    To frighten someone very much.

  8. 08

    scare story

    A rumour spread by a scaremonger in order to cause anxiety.

© 2026 English Reference