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Awe vs Scary - What's the difference?

awe | scary |

As nouns the difference between awe and scary

is that awe is a feeling of fear and reverence while scary is barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

As a verb awe

is to inspire fear and reverence in.

As an adjective scary is

causing or able to cause fright.

awe

English

Noun

(-)
  • A feeling of fear and reverence.
  • A feeling of amazement.
  • * 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter IV
  • For several minutes no one spoke; I think they must each have been as overcome by awe as was I. All about us was a flora and fauna as strange and wonderful to us as might have been those upon a distant planet had we suddenly been miraculously transported through ether to an unknown world.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
  • , author=Anna Lena Phillips , title=Sneaky Silk Moths , volume=100, issue=2, page=172 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.}}

    Derived terms

    * awe-inspiring * awesome * awestruck * awful

    Verb

    (aw)
  • To inspire fear and reverence in.
  • * '>citation
  • To control by inspiring dread.
  • Synonyms

    * (inspire reverence) enthral, enthrall; overwhelm

    Derived terms

    * awed * awesome * awe-inspiring * awful

    scary

    English

    Etymology 1

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Causing or able to cause fright
  • The tiger's jaws were scary.
    She was hiding behind her pillow during the scary parts of the film.
  • (US, colloquial, dated) Subject to sudden alarm; nervous, jumpy.
  • (Whittier)
  • * 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.
    Synonyms
    * (causing fright) frightening

    Etymology 2

    From dialectal English .

    Noun

  • Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.
  • Anagrams

    * *