Scare
/skɛər/noun
To frighten or suddenly alarm someone.
Did you know?English **scare** is probably related to Old Norse *skirra* “to frighten, terrify,” ultimately from a Germanic root meaning “to make shy, shrink back,” which is why the word carries that instant recoil of fear.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skerrjaną
“to scare, frighten, make recoil”
Old Norse
ON
skirra
“to frighten, deter, prevent”
Middle English
English
scaren
“to frighten, terrify”
Late Middle English
English
scare
“a fright, sudden terror”
Modern English
English
scare
“to frighten or alarm suddenly”