scare
pronunciation
How to pronounce scare in British English:
UK [skeə(r)]
How to pronounce scare in American English:
US [sker]
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- Noun:
- sudden mass fear and anxiety over anticipated events
- a sudden attack of fear
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- Verb:
- cause fear in
- cause to lose courage
Word Origin
- scare (v.)
- 1590s, alteration of Middle English skerren (c. 1200), from Old Norse skirra "to frighten; to shrink from, shun; to prevent, avert," related to skjarr "timid, shy, afraid of," of unknown origin. In Scottish also skair, skar, and in dialectal English skeer, skear, which seems to preserve the older pronunciation. To scare up "procure, obtain" is first recorded 1846, American English, from notion of rousing game from cover. Related: Scared; scaring.
- scare (n.)
- "something that frightens; sudden panic, sudden terror inspired by a trifling cause, false alarm," 1520s, alteration of Middle English sker "fear, dread" (c. 1400), from scare (v.). Scare tactic attested from 1948.
Example
- 1. But why this health scare in particular ?
- 2. Jesus came to save us , not to scare us .
- 3. The report set off a vaccination scare that lasts to this day .
- 4. Perhaps greece could scare germany into softer terms just by threatening such a sale .
- 5. His aim-to inspire , not scare , the protesters-seemed to be achieved .