scare the living daylights out of
To scare something or someone to a large degree.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That loud noise scared the living daylights out of me.”
“The sudden crash in the kitchen scared the living daylights out of the cat.”
“The unexpected appearance of the stranger in the dark hallway scared the living daylights out of everyone in the house.”
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beat the daylights out of
To beat (someone) severely.
- 02
burn daylight
To waste time.
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daylight robbery
The practice of cheating or of imposing an exorbitant charge for a product or service; (countable, rare) an instance of this.
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don't call me sir, I work for a living
Used by senior enlisted military personnel to indicate that they are not commissioned officers.
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knock the living daylights out of
To beat or strike someone.
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living death
A condition of suffering, solitude, or impairment so extreme as to deprive one's existence of all happiness and meaning.
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living end
The most extreme form of something or the final and most impactful development in a series of events — whether favorable or unfavorable
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living proof
A real-life person or thing which demonstrates the validity of a hypothesis.
Last updated August 10, 2026