scary

The word “scary” means causing fear or unease. In plain terms, frightening, or unsettling in a way that makes you uneasy.

“Scary” is pronounced SKEH-uh-ree (/ˈskɛə.ɹi/ in IPA).

Here is “scary” used in a sentence: “The abandoned house looked scary at night.”

“Scary” is an adjective.

“Scary” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

"Scary" describes what causes fear — a scary film or a scary noise. "Scared" describes the person feeling the fear: "I was scared." Mixing them up, as in "I'm so scary of spiders," is a common learner error; the thing is scary, the person is scared.

"Scary" is standard English but leans conversational; in formal writing, "frightening" or "alarming" often fits better. It is entirely acceptable in journalism and everyday prose.

"Scary" is the general word for anything causing fear or unease, from sudden shocks to real dangers. "Creepy" is narrower, describing a slow, skin-crawling unease, often caused by something unsettlingly strange rather than an outright threat.

The standard comparative and superlative are "scarier" and "scariest," following the usual rule for two-syllable adjectives ending in -y. "More scary" is heard in speech and is not strictly wrong, but "scarier" is the preferred form in writing.