scares
n. countablen. a sudden feeling of fear or a situation where people are worried about something dangerous. You use this when something happens that makes you think you are in trouble, even if you are okay later.
n. a sudden feeling of alarm or a period of widespread public anxiety regarding a specific threat. Often used to describe health or safety concerns that cause temporary panic.
The loud noise gave me a real scare.
The recent health scare led many families to stop buying imported fruit until the tests were finished.
Despite the initial security scare at the terminal, investigators found no evidence of a credible threat and resumed normal operations within the hour.
Commonly used in the singular with 'give' ('give someone a scare') or as a compound noun ('health scare', 'bomb scare').