scary

adjective

1. 1

   informalCausing fear or anxiety

   The tiger's jaws were scary.

   She was hiding behind her pillow during the scary parts of the film.

   He watched Conjuring but it was too scary for him.

   Well, we swarmed along down the river road, just carrying on like wildcats; and to make it more scary the sky was darking up, and the lightning beginning to wink and flitter, and the wind to shiver amongst the leaves.

2. 2

   informalUncannily striking or surprising.

   Linda changed her hair, and it’s scary how much she looks like her mother.

3. 3

   Subject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.

   “Whist! whist!” said Natty, in a low voice, on hearing a slight sound made by Elizabeth, in bending over the side of the canoe, in eager curiosity; “’tis a sceary animal, and it’s a far stroke for a spear. […]”

   “She’s cursed,” said the skipper; “speak her fair: I’m scary always to see her shake Her wicked head, with its wild gray hair, And nose like a hawk, and eyes like a snake.”

   And let us say to these interests that, until the Buy-It-Made-In-Texas movement co-operates with the farmers, we are going to be a little scary of the snare.

   The two brothers stood over the dead rat […]. “Please, Bigger, take ’im out,” Vera begged. “Aw, don’t be so scary,” Buddy said.

adverb

1. 1

   informalTo a scary extent; scarily.

   At 199 centimetres and a hundred kilos going up, he was scary big and he found work as a bouncer and enforcer[.]

   [T]he main reason I don't want to give her a GA is she's so scary fat!

noun

1. 1

   Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

Forms

comparative

scarier

superlative

scariest