Scare Meaning
/skɛə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA minor fright.
nounA cause of terror or alarm; a panic; something that inspires fear or dread.
Sentence Examples
Don't scare me like that!
Don't make any noise or you'll scare the birds away.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The loud noise from the explosion will ____ the birds, making them fly away in panic.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sudden noise was enough to ____ the birds from the tree in an instant.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English sker, skere (“terror, fright”), from the verb Middle English skerren (“to frighten”) (see below).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 2011 June 4, Phil McNulty, “England 2 - 2 Switzerland”, in BBC:
"But I admit the possibility of their being used as "scares" for either birds of prey or snakes, or both."
— 1948, Alec H. Chisholm, Bird Wonders of Australia, page 153:
"That cannot be; the noise of thy crossbow / Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost."
— c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], lines 6-7:
"Late triumphs of Russian science are scaring the very dogwater out of large elements in our society, and we both fear more "purging" instead of more effort at catching up."
— 1957 October 20, Roy Bedichek, “to John Henry Faulk”, in Letters of Roy Bedichek, Austin, T.X.: University of Texas Press, published 1985, →ISBN, page 507:
"(Laurel Stevenson) Would you please be quiet? You're scaring the little girl.
(Craig Toomey) Scaring the little girl?! Scaring the little girl?! Lady!"
— 1995, The Langoliers:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The loud noise from the explosion will ____ the birds, making them fly away in panic.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sudden noise was enough to ____ the birds from the tree in an instant.