scare

be [bored/scared/worried etc.] out of your mind

be out of your mind with [boredom/fear/worry etc.] - to be extremely bored, frightened, worried etc.. I really thought he was going to crash the car and I was scared out of my mind. He was the only young person at the party and he looked bored out of his mind.

See also: bore, mind, worry

be frightened/scared to death

frighten/scare someone to death - to make someone feel very frightened. I'm scared to death she's going to tell him. She's frightened to death of dogs. (often + of)

See also: death, frighten

be scared shitless (British, American & Australian, taboo, American, taboo)

to be very frightened. I was woken by the sound of someone moving around downstairs - I was scared shitless!

See also: shitless

be shit scared (taboo!)

to be very frightened. But you hate heights! I bet you were shit scared on the big wheel.

See also: shit

[beat/bore/scare etc.] the pants off someone (informal)

if someone or something beats, bores, scares etc. the pants off someone, they beat, bore, or scare them completely. I hate sunbathing. It bores the pants off me. Horror films scare the pants off me.

See also: beat, bore, pant

frighten/scare someone out of their wits

to make someone very frightened. Don't shout like that - you scared me out of my wits!

See also: frighten, wit

frighten/scare the (living) daylights out of someone

to frighten someone very much. Don't come up behind me like that. You scared the living daylights out of me!

See also: daylight, frighten

frighten/scare the hell out of someone (informal)

to make someone feel very frightened. He drives like a madman - frightens the hell out of me.

See also: frighten, hell

frighten/scare the life out of someone

to make someone feel very frightened. She frightened the life out of me, shouting like that.

See also: frighten, life

frighten/scare someone to death

to make someone feel very frightened. David suddenly appeared in the doorway and scared me to death.

See also: death, frighten

run scared (mainly American)

to be worried that you are going to be defeated. There are rumours that the Democrats are running scared after recent opinion polls showed their rivals to be way out in front. (usually in continuous tenses)

See also: run

scare the shit out of someone (taboo!)

to make someone feel very frightened. I wish you wouldn't come in without knocking - you scared the shit out of me.

See also: shit

---

scare away someone/something

to cause someone or something to go or stay away. Video cameras may be helpful to police, but they do not scare away robbers. He scared them away by yelling and firing into the air.

See also: away

scare someone/something away from something/doing something

to cause someone or something not to do something. If people are fully informed, that will increase their confidence and not scare them away from taking the drug.

See also: away, from

scare off someone/something

to cause someone or something to go or stay away. In summer, when you walked through a field of dry grass, you stamped your feet to scare off snakes. A deadly outbreak of “bird flu” in Hong Kong has killed six people and scared off tourists. Intensive border patrols probably scared smugglers off.

scare off someone

to cause someone not to invest money in something. A TV show as experimental and unusual as this one could scare off advertisers. The country's financial crisis has scared away potential foreign investors.

scare the hell out of you

to make you feel extremely frightened. His idea of fun scares the hell out of me.

scare the pants off you

See also: hell

scare the pants off someoneSee at: caught with your pants down

See also: pant

scare the pants off you

to frighten you very much. Spiders scare the pants off me.

Usage notes: also used with other verbs to emphasize an extreme reaction: Sunbathing bores the pants off me. Hugh always beats the pants off me in tennis.

scare the hell out of you

scare you to death

See also: pant

scare up something

to find or obtain something that is not easily available. At the very least, I'm sure he'll have some original ideas on how to scare up some cash. We discovered it was impossible to scare up an audience for the game.

scare you to death

to make you feel extremely frightened. David suddenly appeared like a ghost in the doorway and scared me to death.

scare the pants off you

See also: death

scared shitless

extremely frightened. I was scared shitless when I first moved out here, but things still worked out fine in the end.

See also: shitless

scared stiff

extremely frightened. Jill awoke from a dream that left her afraid — scared stiff, in fact.

Etymology: from the idea that you are stiff (= unable to bend or change your position) because you are too frightened to move

See also: stiff

scared to death

extremely frightened. My dog is scared to death of thunder and firecrackers.

See also: death