27 Idioms for Scared

Fear is a natural emotion that we all experience from time to time. Whether it’s caused by danger, uncertainty, or something unexpected, fear can be overwhelming. In English, we use a variety of idioms to express the feeling of being scared. From “scared out of your wits” to “shaking in your boots,” these idioms offer colorful ways to describe the intensity of fear.

In this article, we’ll explore 27 idioms for scared, each offering a unique way to express anxiety, fright, or unease. These idioms not only help to convey the feeling of fear but also enrich the language by adding vivid imagery to how we react to frightening situations.

1. Scared out of your wits

Meaning: To be extremely frightened or terrified
In a Sentence:
– “I was scared out of my wits when I heard someone knock on the door in the middle of the night.”
– “The movie was so scary, it had me scared out of my wits.”
Other Ways to Say: Terrified / Petrified

2. Shaking in your boots

Meaning: To be visibly nervous or afraid, often to the point of trembling
In a Sentence:
– “He was shaking in his boots when he had to speak in front of the large crowd.”
– “She was shaking in her boots after hearing the thunderstorm warnings.”
Other Ways to Say: Tremble / Be terrified

3. Scared stiff

Meaning: To be so scared that you are unable to move or react
In a Sentence:
– “I was scared stiff when I saw the bear in the woods.”
– “The sudden scream scared her stiff, and she couldn’t move for a moment.”
Other Ways to Say: Frozen with fear / Paralyzed with fear

4. Jump out of your skin

Meaning: To be startled or frightened by something so sudden that it causes a physical reaction
In a Sentence:
– “She jumped out of her skin when the fire alarm went off.”
– “The loud noise made him jump out of his skin.”
Other Ways to Say: Startled / Taken by surprise

5. Terrified to the core

Meaning: To feel an intense, deep fear that affects you mentally and physically
In a Sentence:
– “The news left me terrified to the core, unable to think straight.”
– “He was terrified to the core when he realized he was lost in the woods.”
Other Ways to Say: Deeply frightened / Utterly terrified

6. A cold sweat

Meaning: To feel scared or anxious, often accompanied by physical signs such as sweating
In a Sentence:
– “He broke out in a cold sweat when the doctor gave him the results of the test.”
– “The news made her break into a cold sweat, unsure of what would happen next.”
Other Ways to Say: Feel anxious / Be nervous

7. Scare the life out of someone

Meaning: To frighten someone to such an extent that they are physically shaken or shocked
In a Sentence:
– “That horror movie really scared the life out of me!”
– “The surprise party almost scared the life out of her.”
Other Ways to Say: Terrify / Frighten deeply

8. Have the jitters

Meaning: To feel nervous or anxious, often accompanied by physical symptoms like shaking or restlessness
In a Sentence:
– “She had the jitters before her big interview, but she managed to calm down.”
– “He always gets the jitters before performing on stage.”
Other Ways to Say: Be nervous / Have butterflies

9. Freak out

Meaning: To react with extreme fear or panic, often in an exaggerated or irrational manner
In a Sentence:
– “She freaked out when she realized she had left her phone at home.”
– “He totally freaked out when he saw the size of the spider in the bathroom.”
Other Ways to Say: Panic / Lose control

10. Heart in your throat

Meaning: To feel an intense sense of fear or anxiety, often related to a moment of shock or surprise
In a Sentence:
– “When the rollercoaster dropped, I felt my heart in my throat.”
– “I had my heart in my throat when I saw the car speeding towards us.”
Other Ways to Say: Feel anxious / Be on edge

11. On edge

Meaning: To be nervous, anxious, or easily frightened, often with a heightened sense of alertness
In a Sentence:
– “He was on edge all day, waiting to hear back about the job interview.”
– “The suspense in the movie kept me on edge until the very end.”
Other Ways to Say: Nervous / Tense

12. Scared stiff

Meaning: To be frozen with fear, unable to move or react
In a Sentence:
– “She was scared stiff when she heard a noise in the dark room.”
– “The sight of the snake scared me stiff, and I couldn’t move.”
Other Ways to Say: Frozen with fear / Paralyzed

13. Shiver down your spine

Meaning: To experience a strong physical reaction to fear, often accompanied by chills or shivering
In a Sentence:
– “The creepy story gave me a shiver down my spine.”
– “The eerie silence in the old house sent a shiver down my spine.”
Other Ways to Say: Chill / Frighten

14. Scare someone half to death

Meaning: To frighten someone extremely, almost to the point of causing a physical reaction
In a Sentence:
– “That horror movie scared me half to death! I couldn’t sleep afterward.”
– “The surprise news nearly scared me half to death.”
Other Ways to Say: Terrify / Shock intensely

15. Be in a cold sweat

Meaning: To experience a fearful or anxious reaction, often causing physical discomfort like sweating
In a Sentence:
– “I was in a cold sweat when I realized I had forgotten my passport.”
– “The idea of speaking in public always makes me break into a cold sweat.”
Other Ways to Say: Be nervous / Be anxious

16. Cry wolf

Meaning: To falsely claim something is wrong, causing others to stop believing you when it is actually true
In a Sentence:
– “He cried wolf so many times that no one took him seriously when he was really in danger.”
– “If you keep crying wolf about every little thing, no one will help you when you really need it.”
Other Ways to Say: Make a false alarm / Overreact

17. Be scared out of your mind

Meaning: To be extremely frightened, often to the point of losing rational thought or control
In a Sentence:
– “I was scared out of my mind when I thought I had lost my wallet.”
– “The thought of being alone in the dark scared me out of my mind.”
Other Ways to Say: Terrified / Panicked

18. Have a chill run down your spine

Meaning: To experience a strong physical reaction to fear, similar to a shiver or goosebumps
In a Sentence:
– “When the door creaked open by itself, I had a chill run down my spine.”
– “The creepy noise in the attic gave me a chill down my spine.”
Other Ways to Say: Get the creeps / Be terrified

19. Freeze in your tracks

Meaning: To stop suddenly out of fear, often because you are too scared to move
In a Sentence:
– “I froze in my tracks when I saw the large shadow in the corner of the room.”
– “He froze in his tracks when he heard footsteps behind him in the dark alley.”
Other Ways to Say: Stop in fear / Be paralyzed

20. Be scared stiff

Meaning: To be so frightened that you are unable to move or react
In a Sentence:
– “I was scared stiff when I saw the ghostly figure in the window.”
– “She was so scared stiff after hearing the sudden bang that she couldn’t move.”
Other Ways to Say: Frozen with fear / Unable to move

21. Jump out of your skin

Meaning: To be extremely startled or frightened, usually accompanied by a physical reaction
In a Sentence:
– “I jumped out of my skin when I heard the loud bang coming from the kitchen.”
– “The sudden surprise party made me jump out of my skin!”
Other Ways to Say: Be startled / Be taken by surprise

22. Scared the daylights out of someone

Meaning: To frighten someone intensely, often to the point of shock or panic
In a Sentence:
– “That loud thunderstorm scared the daylights out of me last night.”
– “The sudden appearance of the figure in the hallway scared the daylights out of her.”
Other Ways to Say: Terrify / Shock deeply

23. Be on pins and needles

Meaning: To be in a state of anxious anticipation, often related to fear or uncertainty
In a Sentence:
– “I was on pins and needles waiting for the results of the exam.”
– “She was on pins and needles, worried about her performance in the interview.”
Other Ways to Say: Be anxious / Feel nervous

24. Get the jitters

Meaning: To feel nervous or anxious, often with physical symptoms like shaking
In a Sentence:
– “I always get the jitters before performing in front of an audience.”
– “He got the jitters before the big meeting and couldn’t calm down.”
Other Ways to Say: Feel anxious / Have butterflies

25. Scared to death

Meaning: To be extremely frightened, often to the point of feeling overwhelmed
In a Sentence:
– “She was scared to death when she saw the shadow move across the room.”
– “I was scared to death when I realized I had missed the flight.”
Other Ways to Say: Terrified / Freaked out

26. Have a heart attack

Meaning: To be shocked or scared to the point of having a severe physical reaction
In a Sentence:
– “She nearly had a heart attack when she found out she had been selected for the role.”
– “He had a heart attack when he saw the size of the spider in the bathroom.”
Other Ways to Say: Be terrified / Get a fright

27. Scared stiff as a board

Meaning: To be completely frozen with fear, unable to move
In a Sentence:
– “When he saw the large dog running towards him, he was scared stiff as a board.”
– “She stood there, scared stiff as a board, not knowing what to do.”
Other Ways to Say: Be paralyzed with fear / Be frozen

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom from the list:

1. When I heard the noise outside, it __________ and I couldn’t move for a moment.
2. The loud thunder made me __________, and I was too afraid to look outside.
3. That scary movie really __________; I couldn’t sleep after watching it.
4. He __________ when he saw the large dog chasing him down the street.
5. The news about the accident __________, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
6. The haunted house experience was so intense that it __________.
7. I was __________ when the elevator suddenly stopped in the middle of the ride.
8. He was __________ when he thought he had lost his wallet.
9. The surprise announcement from the boss __________, and I didn’t know how to respond.
10. She __________ when she heard the door creak open behind her in the dark.
11. I __________ when I realized I had forgotten the important meeting.
12. The sudden scream in the movie theater __________, and I jumped out of my seat.
13. The jump scare in the game __________, and I couldn’t focus for a few seconds.
14. He was __________ when he saw the accident happen right in front of him.
15. I __________ when I found out I had been selected for the lead role in the play.
16. The sight of the large spider __________, and I couldn’t move.
17. He was __________ when he realized he was locked out of the house in the rain.
18. The unexpected power outage __________, and I was afraid to move in the dark.
19. She was __________ after hearing the unexpected news of the layoffs.
20. The unexpected thunderstorm __________, and we had to run for shelter.
21. I __________ when I realized I had missed my flight.
22. The sound of footsteps behind me __________, and I didn’t dare turn around.
23. She __________ after hearing the car crash and didn’t know what to do.
24. He was __________ when he saw the message from his boss asking to meet immediately.
25. The noise in the attic __________, and I had to go check what it was.
26. After hearing the bad news, she was __________ and couldn’t stop crying.
27. The haunted house experience really __________, and I couldn’t sleep for days.

Answer Key

1. Frozen stiff
2. Got the jitters
3. Scared the daylights out of me
4. Jumped out of my skin
5. Scared the life out of me
6. Scared stiff as a board
7. On edge
8. Shaking in my boots
9. Scared out of my wits
10. Frozen in fear
11. Scared to death
12. Jumped out of my skin
13. Made my heart race
14. Scared stiff
15. Scared to death
16. Scared out of my wits
17. Shaken to the core
18. Scared to death
19. Frozen in place
20. Scared stiff
21. Shivering with fear
22. Scared out of my mind
23. Shaking with fear
24. Scared out of my wits
25. Shivering with fright
26. Terrified to the core
27. Scared out of my mind

Conclusion

Fear is an emotion that is deeply embedded in human experience, and these 27 idioms for scared give us creative ways to express how we feel when we are frightened or anxious. From “shaking in your boots” to “scared out of your wits,” these idioms not only help us convey the intensity of fear but also enrich our language with vivid imagery.

Whether it’s being startled by a sudden noise or feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, these expressions offer a colorful and engaging way to describe the complex emotion of fear. By using these idioms, you can better communicate how fear affects you or others and add depth to your storytelling or conversations.