# scare

/ˈskɛɹ/ (US) · /skˈeə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/scare
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to frighten

verb · CEFR A2

to make someone feel afraid or nervous.

For teachers: to cause fear, alarm, or anxiety in a person or animal. Transitive — takes a direct object.

- The sudden thunder scared the cat, and it ran under the sofa.
- The sudden drop in stock prices scared many first-time investors into selling their shares prematurely.

### 2. a sudden fright

noun · CEFR B1

a feeling of being suddenly afraid, or a situation that causes this.

For teachers: a sudden attack of fear or alarm; often used for a personal experience of fright.

- You gave me a real scare when you jumped out from behind the door.
- The patient had a health scare last year that prompted him to adopt a much stricter exercise routine.

### 3. public panic

noun · CEFR B2

a situation where many people are worried about a specific danger, like a disease or a food problem.

For teachers: a period of widespread public alarm or panic, often regarding health, safety, or the economy.

- There was a big food scare when some milk was found to be unsafe.
- The recent bomb scare forced the authorities to evacuate the entire terminal while security teams conducted a thorough sweep.

## Examples

- The loud noise gave me a real scare.
- The recent health scare led many people to change their diets and start exercising more regularly.
- While the initial market scare caused a brief dip in stock prices, investors quickly regained their confidence once the central bank issued a clarifying statement.

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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.