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Added 9 October 2026

scary

/ˈskɛə.ɹi/ adjective

In Latin: terribilis, metūculōsus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about scary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Causing fear or anxiety
The tiger's jaws were scary.
Uncannily striking or surprising.
Linda changed her hair, and it’s scary how much she looks like her mother.
Subject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.

adverb

To a scary extent; scarily.

noun

Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

Origin

From dialectal English scare (“scraggy”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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