scare

UK: skeə | US: sker

Definition

  1. v. to frighten or become frightened

  2. n. a sudden feeling of fear

Structure
scare <to frighten>
Etymology

The word "scare" originates from Old Norse skirra ("to frighten"), which influenced Middle English skerren. It retains its core meaning of causing fear, with no further morphological breakdown in modern English. Its simplicity reflects its Germanic roots, where short, impactful verbs often describe basic actions or states.

Examples

  1. The loud noise scared the cat.

  2. She had a scare when she thought she lost her phone.

  3. Horror movies are designed to scare audiences.

  4. Don’t let rumors scare you into making hasty decisions.

  5. The sudden shadow gave him a brief scare.