The word 'scare', at a B2 level, refers to the act of causing someone to feel sudden fear, worry, or anxiety. As a verb, it describes the action of frightening someone. For example, a loud noise might scare a small child.
As a noun, 'scare' can denote the actual feeling of sudden fear or a situation that provokes alarm. You might hear someone say, 'It gave me a real scare!' after a near accident. Understanding its use in both forms is key to navigating conversations about fear and surprise.
§ What does it mean and when do people use it?
- DEFINITION
- As a verb, 'to scare' means to cause someone to feel sudden fear, worry, or anxiety. It's an action that elicits a feeling of alarm or fright in another person or even an animal.
The sudden loud noise from the firecracker really scared the cat, making it jump high in the air.
Don't sneak up on me like that; you almost scared me half to death!
- DEFINITION
- As a noun, 'scare' refers to a sudden feeling of fear, worry, or anxiety. It can also describe a situation or event that causes alarm or widespread apprehension.
The sudden blackout gave everyone a bit of a scare in the middle of the night.
There was a bit of a wildlife scare when a bear was spotted near the campsite.
§ Common Usages and Expressions
- Scare off: To frighten someone or something away.
The loud music was meant to scare off the birds from the garden.
- Scare tactics: Methods used to frighten people, often to make them do something.
The company used scare tactics to try and convince customers to buy their expensive insurance.
- A narrow escape / a close shave (often combined with 'scare'): Referring to a situation where one barely avoids danger.
It was a bit of a scare, but luckily, we had a narrow escape from the falling rocks.
How Formal Is It?
"The sheer volume of work can often intimidate new employees."
"The loud noise outside the window seemed to frighten the cat."
"Did you see that shadow? It really spooked me for a second!"
"The jack-in-the-box will startle you when it pops up!"
"Don't freak out, but I think we just saw a ghost!"
Grammaire à connaître
When 'scare' is used as a transitive verb, it takes a direct object that is the person or thing experiencing the fear. The structure is 'scare + object'.
The loud noise scared the baby.
As an intransitive verb, 'scare' can be used with prepositions like 'at' or 'away' to indicate the cause of the fear or the direction of movement due to fear.
The cat scared at its reflection. (less common, but grammatically possible) / The sudden movement scared the birds away.
When used as a noun, 'scare' often appears with indefinite articles ('a', 'an') and can be modified by adjectives.
It gave me quite a scare. / The financial scare affected many investors.
The past participle 'scared' is often used as an adjective to describe someone who is experiencing fear.
She was scared of heights.
The present participle 'scaring' can be used to describe something that causes fear.
The scaring sound echoed through the old house.
Exemples par niveau
The loud noise did not scare the baby.
The loud noise did not make the baby afraid.
Past tense of 'do' is 'did'. 'Not' makes it negative. 'Scare' is the verb.
Did the dog scare you?
Were you afraid of the dog?
Question form using 'Did'. 'Scare' is the verb.
Don't scare the cat, please.
Please don't make the cat afraid.
Imperative sentence (a command). 'Don't' means 'do not'.
I saw a big spider. It gave me a scare!
I saw a big spider. It made me feel afraid suddenly.
'A scare' here is a noun, meaning a sudden feeling of fear. 'Gave me a scare' is a common phrase.
The dark room can scare some children.
Some children can be afraid of the dark room.
'Can' shows possibility. 'Scare' is the verb.
I got a scare when the light went out.
I felt suddenly afraid when the light turned off.
'Got a scare' is another way to say 'felt a sudden fear'. 'Went out' means 'turned off'.
She likes to scare her brother sometimes.
Sometimes she likes to make her brother afraid.
'Likes to scare' means 'enjoys making afraid'. 'Sometimes' indicates frequency.
The ghost story did not scare him.
He was not afraid of the ghost story.
Past tense negative. 'Scare' is the verb.
The loud noise scared the cat.
เสียงดังทำให้แมวตกใจ
Simple Past tense, 'scare' as a verb.
Don't scare your little brother.
อย่าทำให้พี่ชายของคุณตกใจ
Imperative, 'scare' as a verb.
I got a scare when I heard the thunder.
ฉันตกใจเมื่อได้ยินเสียงฟ้าร้อง
Simple Past tense, 'scare' as a noun.
Did the movie scare you?
หนังเรื่องนี้ทำให้คุณกลัวไหม
Simple Past tense question, 'scare' as a verb.
The sudden movement gave me a scare.
การเคลื่อนไหวที่กะทันหันทำให้ฉันตกใจ
Simple Past tense, 'scare' as a noun.
He likes to scare his friends with masks.
เขาชอบทำให้เพื่อนๆ ตกใจด้วยหน้ากาก
Simple Present tense, 'scare' as a verb.
It was just a scare, nothing serious.
มันเป็นแค่ความตกใจเล็กน้อย ไม่มีอะไรร้ายแรง
Simple Past tense, 'scare' as a noun.
The dog barked loudly to scare the birds away.
สุนัขเห่าเสียงดังเพื่อไล่นกไป
Simple Past tense, 'scare' as a verb with a phrasal verb 'scare away'.
The unexpected downturn in the market, though temporary, did manage to scare off a considerable number of nascent investors, prompting a broader re-evaluation of risk tolerance within the portfolio management circles.
The downturn 'scared off' investors.
Here, 'scare off' is a phrasal verb meaning to deter or frighten away.
Despite the initial scare caused by the unsubstantiated rumors circulating about the company's solvency, the leadership team's swift and transparent communication effectively assuaged stakeholder concerns, preventing a more significant exodus of capital.
An 'initial scare' was caused by rumors.
As a noun, 'scare' refers to a sudden fright or alarm.
The novel's antagonist, a figure of profound psychological complexity, employs a sophisticated repertoire of tactics designed not merely to frighten, but to genuinely scare the protagonist into a state of existential despair, thereby revealing the fragility of human resilience.
The antagonist aims to 'scare' the protagonist into despair.
The verb 'scare' is used here to indicate causing deep fear.
It is incumbent upon public health officials to communicate potential pandemic threats with a judicious balance of urgency and reassurance, lest they inadvertently scare the populace into a state of undue panic, which could exacerbate societal disruption.
Officials shouldn't 'scare' the public into panic.
The phrase 'scare into' implies causing someone to enter a state due to fear.
The unexpected near-miss during the aerospace exhibition, while ultimately harmless, served as a stark reminder of the inherent risks involved in pushing the boundaries of technological innovation, and indeed, gave everyone a bit of a scare.
The near-miss 'gave everyone a scare'.
The idiom 'give someone a scare' means to frighten someone.
His laconic demeanor, often misinterpreted as indifference, belied a deep-seated apprehension that any misstep in his meticulously planned strategy could potentially scare away crucial financial backing, jeopardizing the entire endeavor.
He feared his misstep could 'scare away' funding.
'Scare away' is another phrasal verb, similar to 'scare off', meaning to cause to leave due to fear.
While the theatrical production aimed to evoke a sense of unease and suspense, the director was careful not to cross the line into gratuitous horror, understanding that a truly effective scare is often more psychological than overtly visceral.
A 'truly effective scare' is psychological.
Here, 'scare' as a noun refers to an instance of being frightened or something that causes fright.
The protracted legal battle, with its attendant uncertainties and potential for reputational damage, was enough to scare even the most seasoned corporate executives, prompting them to seek an expedient, albeit costly, out-of-court settlement.
The legal battle was enough to 'scare' executives.
The verb 'scare' is used transitively here, meaning to cause fear in someone.
Famille de mots
Noms
Verbes
Adjectifs
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Imagine a **SCAR**y movie where a ghost says 'Boo!' to **SCARE** you.
Association visuelle
Picture a 'scarecrow' in a field, designed to scare away birds. Its ragged clothes and spooky face make it a perfect visual for the word 'scare'.
Word Web
Défi
Describe a time when you were scared, using the word 'scare' in different forms (e.g., 'I was scared,' 'It was a scare').
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
You're walking alone at night and hear a strange noise.
- That noise really scared me.
- It gave me a scare.
- I was scared when I heard it.
A friend plays a prank on you.
- You really scared me!
- That was quite a scare.
- Don't scare me like that again!
Watching a horror movie.
- This movie is so scary.
- It gave me a good scare.
- I jump easily when I'm scared.
A sudden loud sound, like thunder.
- The thunder scared the cat.
- That sudden bang gave me a scare.
- I get scared by loud noises.
You narrowly avoid an accident.
- That was a real scare.
- It scared me how close I came to an accident.
- I was scared for a moment there.
Amorces de conversation
"What's the last thing that really gave you a scare?"
"Do you enjoy watching scary movies or reading scary books?"
"Have you ever played a prank on someone to scare them?"
"What do you do to calm down when you're scared?"
"Is there anything that used to scare you as a child but doesn't anymore?"
Sujets d'écriture
Describe a time you were truly scared and how you reacted.
Write about a situation where you accidentally scared someone else. How did they react?
Reflect on what makes something 'scary' to you. Is it the unknown, the sudden, or something else?
Imagine you have to face one of your biggest fears. What is it, and how would you prepare?
Write about a 'scare' that turned out to be nothing serious. How did you feel afterward?
Teste-toi 18 questions
Listen for what scared the dog.
Listen for what kind of noise it was.
Listen for who gave a scare.
Read this aloud:
Don't scare your brother.
Focus: scare
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
That loud sound gave me a scare.
Focus: scare
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
The movie was not scary at all.
Focus: scary
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The sudden loud noise ___ the cat, and it ran under the bed.
'Scared' means to cause sudden fear, which fits the context of a cat reacting to a loud noise.
Don't try to ___ your little sister with ghost stories; she might not sleep tonight.
To 'scare' someone with ghost stories means to make them feel fear, which is appropriate here.
The unexpected test gave everyone a bit of a ___.
A 'scare' in this context means a sudden feeling of worry or alarm, which an unexpected test can cause.
I didn't mean to ___ you; I just walked in quietly.
If someone walks in quietly and the other person is startled, it means they were 'scared'.
The news report about the storm caused quite a ___ in the town.
A 'scare' can refer to a situation that causes alarm, which a serious storm warning would do.
Even a small spider can ___ some people a lot.
Spiders often cause a feeling of fear or anxiety in people, so 'scare' is the correct verb here.
Which of these might 'scare' someone?
A loud, unexpected noise can cause sudden fear or alarm, which is the meaning of 'scare'.
What does it mean if something 'gives you a scare'?
'To give someone a scare' means to cause them to feel sudden fear or worry.
The sudden movement of the shadows in the dark room really _____ me.
The context implies a sudden feeling of fear or worry, which 'scared' fits perfectly.
A friendly dog wagging its tail would typically 'scare' someone.
A friendly dog wagging its tail is usually a sign of happiness and playfulness, not something that would cause fear.
If you hear a strange noise in your house at night, it might 'scare' you.
A strange noise at night could cause sudden worry or fear, fitting the definition of 'scare'.
Reading a funny book can 'scare' you.
Funny books are meant to cause laughter and enjoyment, not fear or worry.
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
