scare meaning

scare means 'to cause fear or frighten someone.'.

scare :

fright, fear

noun

▪ She had a scare when she heard the loud noise.

▪ She felt fear when she heard the loud noise.

▪ The movie gave me a good scare.

▪ The movie gave me a good fear.

paraphrasing

▪ fright – scare

▪ terror – fear

▪ alarm – scare

scare :

frighten, intimidate

verb

▪ He scared the children with his costume.

▪ He frightened the children with his costume.

▪ The loud noise scared him.

▪ The loud noise frightened him.

paraphrasing

▪ frighten – scare

▪ intimidate – scare

▪ alarm – scare

Pronunciation

scare [skɛər]

The word is pronounced with one syllable, sounding like "skair".

Common phrases and grammar about scare

scare - Common meaning

noun
fright, fear
verb
frighten, intimidate

Part of Speech Changes for "scare"

▪ scared (adjective) – frightened

▪ scaring (verb) – causing fear

Common Expressions with "scare"

▪ give someone a scare – frighten someone

▪ scare away – make someone go away through fear

▪ scare easily – become frightened easily

▪ scare stiff – frighten someone completely

Important examples of scare in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, scare is often used to describe causing fear or frighten someone in various contexts.

▪Don't let the noise scare you during the night.
▪Don't let the noise frighten you during the night.

Example of a confusing word: scar (to mark)

▪Don't let the noise scar you during the night.
▪Don't let the noise leave a mark on you during the night.
"Scare" is a verb meaning "to cause fear" or "to frighten," and it is used correctly in the sentence "Don't let the noise scare you during the night." "Scar," however, means "to leave a mark" or "to damage," often referring to physical marks on the skin. The sentence "Don't let the noise scar you" is grammatically incorrect and semantically illogical because noise cannot leave a physical mark. Therefore, "scare" is the appropriate choice here.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

As a verb, scare is used to indicate the action of causing fear, often requiring an object.

▪The loud alarm scared everyone in the office.
▪The loud alarm frightened everyone in the office.

scare

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

sudden scare

a quick, unexpected fright used when something happens suddenly.

▪She experienced a sudden scare when the lights went out.
▪She experienced a quick fright when the lights went out.

cold sweat

means to sweat from fear, used to describe physical reactions to fear.

▪He broke into a cold sweat during the scary movie.
▪He started sweating from fear during the scary movie.

Differences between similar words and scare

scare

,

fright

differences

Scare is used when referring to causing fear, while fright can imply a more intense or sudden fear.

scare
▪The horror story scared her.
▪The horror story frightened her.
fright
▪He felt a sudden fright during the storm.
▪He felt a sudden scare during the storm.

scare

,

terror – fright

differences

Scare refers to causing fear, while terror implies a more intense or overwhelming fear.

scare
▪The loud noise scared the baby.
▪The loud noise frightened the baby.
terror – fright
▪The terrifying noise scared the baby.
▪The loud noise frightened the baby.

Words with the same origin as scare

The origin of scare

The word 'scare' originates from the Old Norse word 'skrækja,' which means to frighten.

Word structure

It is a standalone word without a clear prefix or suffix. The composition of the word is unclear.

Words with the same origin

The root of scare is unclear or difficult to confirm.

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