Haunt vs Scare - What's the difference?

haunt | scare |


As verbs the difference between haunt and scare

is that haunt is to inhabit, or visit frequently (most often used in reference to ghosts) while scare is to frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.

As nouns the difference between haunt and scare

is that haunt is a place at which one is regularly found; a hangout while scare is a minor fright.

Other Comparisons: What's the difference?

haunt

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (Scotland)

Verb

(en verb)
  • To inhabit, or visit frequently (most often used in reference to ghosts).
    • A couple of ghosts haunt the old, burnt-down house.
  • * Shakespeare
    • You wrong me, sir, thus still to haunt my house.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • those cares that haunt the court and town
  • * Fairfax
    • Foul spirits haunt my resting place.
  • To make uneasy, restless.
    • The memory of his past failures haunted him.
  • To stalk, to follow
    • The policeman haunted him, following him everywhere.
  • To live habitually; to stay, to remain.
  • * 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , John XI:
    • Jesus therfore walked no more openly amonge the iewes: butt went his waye thence vnto a countre ny to a wildernes into a cite called effraym, and there haunted with his disciples.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.x:
    • yonder in that wastefull wildernesse / Huge monsters haunt , and many dangers dwell
  • To accustom; habituate; make accustomed to.
  • * Wyclif
    • Haunt thyself to pity.
  • To practise; to devote oneself to.
  • * Ascham
    • Leave honest pleasure, and haunt no good pastime.
  • To persist in staying or visiting.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I've charged thee not to haunt about my doors.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A place at which one is regularly found; a hangout.
  • *
  • * 1868 , , "Kitty's Class Day":
    • Both Jack and Fletcher had graduated the year before, but still took an interest in their old haunts , and patronized the fellows who were not yet through.
  • * 1984 , Timothy Loughran and Natalie Angier, " Science: Striking It Rich in Wyoming," Time , 8 Oct.:
    • Wyoming has been a favorite haunt of paleontologists for the past century ever since westering pioneers reported that many vertebrate fossils were almost lying on the ground.
  • (dialect) A ghost.
  • * 1891 , Mary Noailles Murfree, In the "Stranger People's" Country , Nebraska 2005, p. 93:
    • ‘Harnts don't wander much ginerally,’ he said. ‘They hand round thar own buryin'-groun' mainly.’
  • A feeding place for animals.Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed., 1989.

    • References

    Anagrams

    *

    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

    Related terms

    * scary

    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

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