Scary and Shocking

Scary

Scary adjective - Causing fear.
Usage example: a scary movie that gave the child nightmares for weeks afterwards

Shocking is a synonym for scary in frightening topic. In some cases you can use "Shocking" instead an adjective "Scary", when it comes to topics like terrible, awful.

Nearby Words: scare, scar, scared, scaring

Shocking

Shocking adjective - Causing fear.
Usage example: the shocking appearance of a shark just a few yards off shore

Scary is a synonym for shocking in terrible topic. You can use "Scary" instead an adjective "Shocking", if it concerns topics such as awful.

Nearby Words: shock, shocked, shockingly, shocker
Cite this Source
Shocking and Scary. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/scary/shocking
Scary & Shocking. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/scary/shocking>.
Shocking or Scary. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/scary/shocking.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "scary" and "shocking" have occurred on timeline