scare

/skɛr/
noun
  1. A sudden feeling of fear or alarm.
    • He had a health scare last year and decided to exercise more.
    • You gave me quite a scare when you jumped out!
    • The fire alarm caused a big scare, but it was a false alarm.
  2. A situation that causes widespread fear or worry.
    • There was a bomb scare at the airport this morning.
    • The disease outbreak created a public health scare.
    • The stock market scare made many investors sell their shares.
Synonyms
verb
  1. To cause someone to feel frightened or afraid.
    • The loud thunder scared the little dog.
    • Don't sneak up behind me like that — you scared me!
    • Horror movies are designed to scare the audience.
  2. To become frightened or afraid.
    • The horse scares at sudden movements.
    • She doesn't scare when things get difficult; she stays calm.
    • I scare easily when I watch scary movies alone.
Antonyms