scary
gb/skˈɛɹi/ us/skˈɛɹi/
A2
Inglés
~ 9400
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
A2
property
1
causing fear; frightening
Making you feel afraid or full of fear.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is scary; a scary [thing/event]
Error frecuente:
Learners often confuse "scary" and "scared". Use "scary" for the thing that causes fear ("The movie is scary"), and "scared" for the person who feels fear ("I am scared"). Saying "I am scary" usually means other people are afraid of you, not that you feel afraid. Another mistake is using "scary of": say "I am scared of spiders" or "Spiders are scary", not "I am scary of spiders".
Sinónimos
frightening (Very close in meaning, slightly more formal or neutral in tone.)
|
terrifying (Stronger than "scary"; suggests very intense fear.)
|
spooky (Often used for quiet, strange, or ghost-like things; can sound a bit playful.)
Antónimos
reassuring (Describes something that makes you feel safe or calm, the opposite emotional effect of scary.)
|
comforting (Gives a feeling of warmth or safety instead of fear.)
Colocaciones
scary movie
|scary story
|really scary
|pretty scary
|scary clown
|scary experience
Temas
emotions
|entertainment
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- That horror film was so scary that I couldn’t sleep afterward.
- Walking alone down that dark, empty street felt really scary.
- He wore a scary mask to the Halloween party and made the kids scream.
- The roller coaster looks scary, but it’s actually a lot of fun.
- The idea of losing my job is scary, so I’ve started saving more money.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The movie was very scary for the children.
- It is scary to fly in a storm.
- She told a scary story about a ghost.
- That dog looks scary when it barks.
- The dark room was scary for him.
adjective
B1
property
2
worrying because dangerous or serious
Making you feel very worried because it seems dangerous or very bad.
Patrón de uso:
scary [fact/number/trend]; it is scary that [clause]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use only words like "bad" or "serious" for dangerous situations and do not realize that "scary" is often used for statistics, news, and trends that cause strong worry (e.g., "scary numbers", "a scary increase"). Also, avoid saying "scary of"; use patterns like "It is scary that…" or "That number is scary."
Sinónimos
alarming (Focuses on the shock and need for attention; often used in news or formal writing.)
|
worrying (Softer and more general; less intense than "scary".)
Antónimos
reassuring (Makes you feel less worried, removing the sense of danger or threat that "scary" suggests.)
Colocaciones
scary statistics
|scary numbers
|scary trend
|scary high
|scary level
|scary moment
Temas
emotions
|news
|society
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- It’s scary how quickly housing prices are rising in this city.
- Those are scary statistics about climate change and heat waves.
- The doctor said my blood pressure was at a scary level for someone my age.
- It’s scary to think how dependent we are on our phones now.
- The idea of so many jobs being replaced by AI is a little scary.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The news about the virus was scary for many people.
- Those numbers are scary when you think about the future.
- It is scary to know that many animals may disappear.
- His debt is scary because he cannot pay it back.
- The doctor said my test results were a bit scary.
adjective
informal
B2
property
3
extremely, to a shocking degree
Used before another adjective to mean "very, very" in a surprising or almost frightening way.
Patrón de uso:
scary [adjective]
Error frecuente:
Learners may think "scary good" or "scary smart" mean both good and frightening in a literal way. In this informal use, "scary" mainly works like a very strong "very" or "really" and is not about real fear. It is also only used before another adjective ("scary good", not "The singer is scary" in this sense).
Sinónimos
extremely (A neutral adverb; does not carry the playful or slightly dark tone that "scary" has.)
|
insanely (Informal intensifier similar in tone; often interchangeable with this sense of "scary".)
Antónimos
slightly (Downplays degree instead of intensifying it, the opposite function of this use of "scary".)
Colocaciones
scary good
|scary smart
|scary fast
|scary strong
|scary talented
Temas
informal
|emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She’s scary smart for someone her age.
- That new player is scary good; he scored three goals in ten minutes.
- The computer is scary fast compared to my old one.
- His memory is scary good—he never forgets a detail.
- The storm moved in scary fast, and we barely had time to get inside.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- That singer is scary good for a teenager.
- My friend is scary smart; she never gets a bad grade.
- This new phone is scary fast.
- His English is scary good after just one year.
- The car is scary fast on the highway.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
scary
AFI
GB/skˈɛɹi/
US/skˈɛɹi/
Sílabas y acento
scary (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (scary)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: scary
- Comparative: scarier
- Superlative: scariest
Familia de palabras
Forms
scarier
adjective
scariest
adjective
Core family
scare
verb A2
scared
adjective
Related words
scariness
noun
scarily
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unscary
adjective
Expresiones
scary good
1/skˈɛɹi ɡˈʊd/
fixed phrase
informal
extremely and surprisingly good
So good that it is surprising or almost frightening how good it is (used in an informal, playful way).
Ejemplos
- This pizza is scary good; I could eat the whole thing.
- Her piano playing is scary good for someone so young.
- The special effects in that film were scary good.
scary movie
1/skˈɛɹi mˈuvi/
fixed phrase
a frightening film
A film that is made to make people feel afraid.
Ejemplos
- We watched a scary movie last night and I had nightmares.
- She refuses to see scary movies because they make her too nervous.
- They put on a scary movie for Halloween.
scary story
1/skˈɛɹi stˈɔɹi/
fixed phrase
a frightening story
A story that is told to make people feel afraid.
Ejemplos
- He told a scary story about a house full of ghosts.
- The children asked their grandmother for a scary story before bed.
- Around the campfire, they shared scary stories in the dark.