scare
English
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 291: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /skɛə/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 291: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GenAm" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /skɛɚ/
Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ɛə(r)
Etymology 1
An alteration (first attested in the 1520s) of Middle English sker ("fear, dread") (which is itself first attested c. 1400). Middle English sker is a nominal derivative of the Middle English verb skerren, which gave rise to the Modern English verb "scare". See etymology of the verb below.
Noun
scare (plural scares)
- A minor fright.
- Johnny had a bad scare last night.
- 2011 June 4, Phil McNulty, “England 2 - 2 Switzerland”, in BBC[1]:
- England were held to a draw after surviving a major scare against Switzerland as they were forced to come from two goals behind to earn a point in the Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley.
- A cause of slight terror; something that inspires fear or dread.
- a food-poisoning scare
- A device or object used to frighten.
- 1948, Alec H. Chisholm, Bird Wonders of Australia, page 153:
- But I admit the possibility of their being used as "scares" for either birds of prey or snakes, or both.
Synonyms
Related terms
Translations
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See also
Etymology 2
An alteration (first attested in the 1590s) of Middle English skerren (which is itself first attested c. 1200). Middle English skerren is derived from the Old Norse verb skirra ("to frighten; to shrink away from, shun; to prevent, avert"), which is related to the Old Norse noun skjarr ("timid, shy, afraid of") of unknown ultimate origin. Compare Scots skar ("wild, timid, shy").
Verb
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- To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
- Did it scare you when I said "Boo!"?
- c. 1851, Henry VI, Part 3 (III:i, v. 6-7), William Shakespeare
- That cannot be; the noise of thy crossbow / Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.
- 1995 The Langoliers
- (Laurel Stevenson) Would you please be quiet? You're scaring the little girl.
- (Craig Toomey) Scaring the little girl?! Scaring the little girl?! Lady!
Synonyms
- frighten
- terrify
- See also Thesaurus:frighten
Translations
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Derived terms
Etymology 3
Adjective
scare (comparative more scare, superlative most scare)
Anagrams
- CERAs, Cares, Ceras, Cesar, Crase, Creas, Races, SERCA, acers, acres, cares, carse, caser, ceras, crase, e-cars, races, sacre, serac, sérac
French
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin scarus (also genus name Scarus), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek σκάρος (skáros).
Pronunciation
Noun
scare m (plural scares)
Further reading
- “scare”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɛə(r)
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English adjectives
- French terms derived from Latin
- French terms derived from Ancient Greek
- French 1-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- fr:Fish