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Frightful vs Scare - What's the difference?

frightful | scare |

As an adjective frightful

is : Full of fright; affrighted; frightened.

As a noun scare is

a minor fright.

As a verb scare is

to frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.

frightful

English

(Webster 1913)

Alternative forms

* frightfull (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (obsolete): Full of fright; affrighted; frightened.
  • *
  • Full of that which causes fright; exciting alarm; impressing terror; shocking; as, a frightful chasm, or tempest; a frightful appearance.
  • (Used as an intensifier)
  • We wasted a frightful amount of money on renovations.

    Synonyms

    * terrible * dreadful * alarming * fearful * terrific * awful * horrid * horrible * shocking

    scare

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A minor fright.
  • Johnny had a bad scare last night.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=June 4 , author=Phil McNulty , title=England 2 - 2 Switzerland , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=England were held to a draw after surviving a major scare against Switzerland as they were forced to come from two goals behind to earn a point in the Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley.}}
  • A cause of slight terror; something that inspires fear or dread.
  • JM is a scare to the capitalists of this country.

    Synonyms

    * fright

    See also

    * scarecrow

    Verb

  • To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
  • Did it scare you when I said "Boo!"?
  • * (rfdate) (Shakespeare)
  • The noise of thy crossbow / Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost.
  • * (The Langoliers)
  • (Laurel Stevenson) Would you please be quiet? You're scaring the little girl.
    (Craig Toomey) Scaring the little girl?! Scaring the little girl?! Lady!

    Synonyms

    * frighten * terrify * See also

    Derived terms

    * bird-scarer * Red scare * scarecrow * scared * scaredy-cat * scaremonger * scare out of one's wits * scarer * scare straight * scare the pants off of

    Anagrams

    * ----