scary

• scarey (dated)

scare +‎ -y

• IPA^(key): /ˈskeəɹi/
• enPR: skâr'ē

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scary (comparative scarier, superlative scariest)

1. (colloquial) Causing or able to cause fright.

   Synonyms: frightening, hair-raising, petrifying, terrifying

   The tiger's jaws were scary.

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

   • 1884, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 29,

     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.

   • 1982, Anne Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, New York: Ivy Books, 1992, Chapter 2, p. 70,

     “ […] How scary it is to know that everyone I love depends on me! I’m afraid I’ll do something wrong.”

2. (US, colloquial) Subject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.

   Synonyms: nervous, jumpy

   • 1823, James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, New York: Charles Wiley, Volume 2, Chapter 5, p. 77,

     “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. […] ” [the UK edition of the same year has scary (p. 262)]

   • 1867, John Greenleaf Whittier, “The Wreck of Rivermouth” in The Tent on the Beach, and Other Poems, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, p. 25,

     “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.”

   • 1916, Texas Department of Agriculture, Bulletin (issues 47-57), page 150:

     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.

   • 1940, Richard Wright, Native Son, London: Jonathan Cape, 1970, Book 1, p. 10,

     The two brothers stood over the dead rat […] .

     “Please, Bigger, take ’im out,” Vera begged.

     “Aw, don’t be so scary,” Buddy said.

3. Uncannily striking or surprising. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought):

• scarily
• scariness
• scarisome / scarysome
• scary sharp

From dialectal English scare (“scraggy”).

scary

1. Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

• -crasy, Carys, Crays, carsy, crays, scray