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scary

adj. · adv.
US //ˈskɛɹi// UK //skˈeəɹi// scary
  1. 1 causing fear (adj.)
    A2 Elementary Informal

    making you feel afraid or nervous.

    causing fear, anxiety, or alarm. Often used to describe entertainment or situations that are intentionally frightening.

    Example

    The movie was so scary that I had to cover my eyes during the ending.

    Example

    Walking through the abandoned hospital at night was a truly scary experience that left the entire group feeling unsettled.

    Usage

    Commonly used as a predicative adjective after 'be' or 'look'.
    Pitfall
    I am very scary of spiders.
    I am very scared of spiders.

    Use 'scary' to describe the thing that causes fear, and 'scared' to describe how you feel.

  2. 2 striking or surprising (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    so impressive or strange that it is almost shocking.

    uncannily striking, surprising, or impressive in its intensity or accuracy.

    Example

    The resemblance between the two cousins is actually quite scary.

    Example

    The new software can mimic a person's voice with scary accuracy, raising significant concerns about digital security.
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  1. 3 very or extremely (adv.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    used to emphasize how much of a quality something has.

    functioning as an intensifier to mean 'to a frightening or surprising degree'.

    Example

    The car was going scary fast down the narrow country road.

    Example

    The stock market has been scary quiet lately, leading many analysts to predict a sudden period of high volatility.

    Usage

    In this sense, the word functions as an adverb modifying an adjective.
Etymology 1

From scare + -y.

Etymology 2

From dialectal English scare (“scraggy”).

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