“Scared” vs. “Scary”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “scared” and “scary”

  • Scared is a feeling experienced by a person, while scary is a quality of something outside of the person.
  • Scared is a transient feeling that comes and goes, while scary is a lasting attribute of something that is always there.
  • Scared is a natural response to a threat or danger, while scary is an inherent characteristic of something that can be either dangerous or harmless.
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What is the definition of “scared” and “scary”?

Scared
  • Scared is an adjective that describes a feeling of fear or anxiety.
  • It is typically used to describe a person who is frightened or nervous about something.
  • Scared can also be used to describe an action taken out of fear.
Scary
  • Scary is an adjective that describes something that causes fear or is frightening.
  • It is typically used to describe a situation, place, or thing that evokes fear or anxiety.
  • Scary can also be used to describe a person who is causing fear in others.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Scary” is the more popular variant on the web.
Scared
245,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. I was scared to walk home alone in the dark.
  2. My sister gets scared every time she hears thunder.
  3. The horror movie left me scared for days.
More popular
Scary
264,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The haunted house was too scary for me to go inside.
  2. I don't like watching scary movies because they give me nightmares.
  3. The clown at the circus was really scary, I had to look away.
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