v., scared, scar·ing, scares. v.tr.
To strike with sudden fear; alarm. See synonyms at frighten.
v.intr.
To become frightened: a child who scares easily.
n.
- A condition or sensation of sudden fear.
- A general state of alarm; a panic: a bomb scare that necessitated evacuating the building.
Serving or intended to frighten people: scare stories; scare tactics.
phrasal verb:
scare up Informal.
- To gather or prepare with considerable effort or ingenuity: managed to scare up some folding chairs for the unexpected crowd.
[Middle English skerren, scaren, from Old Norse skirra, from skjarr, timid.]
scarer scar'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
