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scared stiff


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Also see: stiff

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
scared /skɛrd/USA pronunciation   adj. [usually: be + ~]
  1. filled with fear;
    frightened:She was scared. He looks scared.
  2. worried: [be + ~ + of + object]I'm scared of looking foolish.[be + ~ + (that) clause]We're scared that we'll all lose our jobs.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
scare /skɛr/USA pronunciation   v., scared, scar•ing, n. 
v. 
  1. to fill (someone), esp. suddenly, with fear;
    frighten: [~ + object]Something scared her. She isn't scared easily.[It + ~ + object + clause]It really scared me when she stopped breathing.
  2. to become frightened:[no object]She doesn't scare easily.
  3. scare off or away, to frighten (someone) enough to cause him or her to run off: [~ + off/away + object]We scared off the thief.[~ + object + off/away]scared the thief away.
  4. scare up, to find in spite of difficulties: [~ + up + object]Try to scare up some wood for the fire.[~ + object + up]to scare some wood up for a fire.

n. [countable]
  1. a sudden fright or alarm:We got quite a scare when she stopped breathing.
  2. a time or condition of alarm or worry:a war scare.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
scare  (skâr),USA pronunciation v., scared, scar•ing, n. 
v.t. 
  1. to fill, esp. suddenly, with fear or terror;
    frighten;
    alarm.

v.i. 
  1. to become frightened:That horse scares easily.
  2. scare up, [Informal.]to obtain with effort;
    find or gather:to scare up money.

n. 
  1. a sudden fright or alarm, esp. with little or no reason.
  2. a time or condition of alarm or worry:For three months there was a war scare.
  • Old Norse skirra to frighten, derivative of skjarr timid, shy; (noun, nominal) late Middle English skere, derivative of the verb, verbal
  • (verb, verbal) Middle English skerren 1150–1200
scar′er, n. 
scar′ing•ly, adv. 
    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged startle, intimidate. See frighten. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
scare / skɛə/
  1. to fill or be filled with fear or alarm
  2. (tr; often followed by away or off) to drive (away) by frightening
  3. (tr; followed by up) to produce (a meal) quickly from whatever is available
  4. to manage to find (something) quickly or with difficulty: brewers need to scare up more sales
  1. a sudden attack of fear or alarm
  2. a period of general fear or alarm
  1. causing (needless) fear or alarm: a scare story
Etymology: 12th Century: from Old Norse skirra; related to Norwegian skjerra, Swedish dialect skjarraˈscarer
'scared stiff' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
stiff

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