Cool MateScare vs Terrify
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Scare
Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb
Terrify
Top 3,000 (common)B2verb
Most common: Scare
| Scare | Terrify | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/skeə(r)/","/skeəz/","/skeəd/","/ˈskeərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/sker/","/skerz/","/skerd/","/ˈskerɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈterɪfaɪ/","/ˈterɪfaɪz/","/ˈterɪfaɪd/","/ˈterɪfaɪɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈterɪfaɪ/","/ˈterɪfaɪz/","/ˈterɪfaɪd/","/ˈterɪfaɪɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | to make someone feel afraid | To make someone very scared. |
| Example | You scared me. | Flying terrifies her. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | B2 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb |
| Collocations | really, easily, away, try to, want to, start to, into, with, scare somebody silly, scare somebody stiff, scare somebody to death, really, easily, away, try to, want to, start to, into, with, scare somebody silly, scare somebody stiff, scare somebody to death | terrify a child, terrify someone, terrify with a story |
| Antonyms | calm, comfort, soothe | calm, comfort, reassure |
| Common mistakes | Using 'scare' without an object, e.g., 'scare me' instead of 'scare me with a story'., Confusing 'scare' with 'scared', where 'scared' describes a state of fear rather than the action of causing fear., Mispronouncing it as 'scar' instead of 'scare'. | Confused with 'scare' which is more casual., Wrongly used in passive voice without context (e.g., 'was terrified them')., Using it in past tense incorrectly without context (e.g., 'terrifed'). |
| Usage notes | Use 'scare' in contexts where someone is frightened. It can be informal in casual conversations but remains neutral overall. Avoid using it in formal writing. | Use 'terrify' when describing extreme fear. It's appropriate for storytelling or describing scary situations but less common in casual conversation. Avoid using with light-hearted topics. |
Frequently asked questions: Scare vs Terrify
What's the difference between Scare and Terrify?
Scare: to make someone feel afraid Terrify: To make someone very scared.
Which is more common: Scare and Terrify?
Scare is the most common in everyday English.
Are Scare and Terrify the same CEFR level?
Scare: B2, Terrify: B2 on the CEFR scale.
What part of speech are Scare and Terrify?
Scare: verb, Terrify: verb.
Can you show an example of each?
Scare: You scared me. Terrify: Flying terrifies her.
Can I use Scare and Terrify interchangeably?
Not always. Scare and Terrify are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.