50 Idioms for Scared With Meanings & Setences
Idioms for Scared
1. Have butterflies in one’s stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous or anxious about something.
In a Sentence: Before going on stage, I always have butterflies in my stomach.
Other Ways to Say: To have jitters, To feel uneasy.
2. Scared stiff
Meaning: Extremely frightened.
In a Sentence: I was scared stiff when I heard the noise in the dark.
Other Ways to Say: Terrified, Petrified.
3. Shaken up
Meaning: Disturbed or frightened by a shock or incident.
In a Sentence: He was really shaken up after the car accident.
Other Ways to Say: Shook, Upset.
4. Jump out of one’s skin
Meaning: To be extremely startled.
In a Sentence: I nearly jumped out of my skin when the balloon popped.
Other Ways to Say: Startle badly, Be shocked.
5. Break out in a cold sweat
Meaning: To become very nervous or frightened.
In a Sentence: I broke out in a cold sweat before my interview.
Other Ways to Say: Get clammy, Feel panicked.
6. Heart in one’s mouth
Meaning: Feeling extreme fear or anxiety.
In a Sentence: My heart was in my mouth when I heard the crash.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous, Alarmed.
7. White as a ghost
Meaning: To turn pale due to fear.
In a Sentence: She went white as a ghost when she saw the snake.
Other Ways to Say: Pale, Ashen.
8. Hair stand on end
Meaning: Experience intense fear.
In a Sentence: My hair stood on end during the horror film.
Other Ways to Say: Feel terrified, Be scared stiff.
9. Goosebumps
Meaning: Skin reaction due to fear or cold.
In a Sentence: I had goosebumps walking through the dark woods.
Other Ways to Say: Chills, Shivers.
10. Lose one’s nerve
Meaning: To become too afraid to do something.
In a Sentence: He lost his nerve before skydiving.
Other Ways to Say: Chicken out, Back down.
11. Scare the daylights out of someone
Meaning: To frighten someone severely.
In a Sentence: The loud bang scared the daylights out of me.
Other Ways to Say: Terrify, Shock.
12. Be a bundle of nerves
Meaning: To be extremely nervous.
In a Sentence: She was a bundle of nerves before the performance.
Other Ways to Say: Very anxious, Tense.
13. Be on edge
Meaning: To be irritable or nervous.
In a Sentence: He was on edge all morning waiting for the results.
Other Ways to Say: Restless, Uneasy.
14. Freak out
Meaning: To panic or become very scared.
In a Sentence: I freaked out when I saw the spider crawling on my bed.
Other Ways to Say: Panic, Lose control.
15. Have cold feet
Meaning: To feel nervous about doing something important.
In a Sentence: She got cold feet just before the wedding.
Other Ways to Say: Get nervous, Lose courage.
16. Frozen with fear
Meaning: Unable to move due to extreme fear.
In a Sentence: He stood frozen with fear as the dog growled.
Other Ways to Say: Paralyzed, Petrified.
17. Jump at one’s own shadow
Meaning: To be very easily frightened.
In a Sentence: After watching the horror movie, I kept jumping at my own shadow.
Other Ways to Say: Be overly scared, Easily startled.
18. In a cold sweat
Meaning: Sweating from nervousness or fear.
In a Sentence: He was in a cold sweat during the police interrogation.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous sweating, Panic reaction.
19. Mind goes blank
Meaning: To forget everything due to fear or pressure.
In a Sentence: My mind went blank when I stepped onto the stage.
Other Ways to Say: Forget everything, Mental freeze.
20. Shake like a leaf
Meaning: Tremble from fear or cold.
In a Sentence: She was shaking like a leaf during the thunderstorm.
Other Ways to Say: Tremble, Shiver.
21. Get the creeps
Meaning: To feel uneasy or fearful.
In a Sentence: That abandoned house gives me the creeps.
Other Ways to Say: Feel spooked, Be unnerved.
22. Chicken out
Meaning: To decide not to do something because of fear.
In a Sentence: He chickened out of the bungee jump.
Other Ways to Say: Back out, Lose nerve.
23. Be scared out of one’s wits
Meaning: Extremely frightened.
In a Sentence: I was scared out of my wits during the horror movie.
Other Ways to Say: Terrified, Panic-stricken.
24. Spook someone
Meaning: To scare or startle someone suddenly.
In a Sentence: The sudden knock at the window spooked me.
Other Ways to Say: Startle, Frighten.
25. Jumpy
Meaning: Nervous and easily startled.
In a Sentence: She gets jumpy when it’s dark and silent.
Other Ways to Say: Edgy, Nervy.
26. Blood run cold
Meaning: To feel extreme fear suddenly.
In a Sentence: My blood ran cold when I saw the shadow move.
Other Ways to Say: Freeze with fear, Terrify.
27. Bite one’s nails
Meaning: To be very nervous.
In a Sentence: I was biting my nails waiting for the exam results.
Other Ways to Say: Be anxious, Worry.
28. Deathly afraid
Meaning: Extremely frightened.
In a Sentence: He’s deathly afraid of heights.
Other Ways to Say: Terrified, Petrified.
29. Cold as ice
Meaning: Expressionless due to shock or fear.
In a Sentence: She went cold as ice when the phone rang at midnight.
Other Ways to Say: Frozen, Unflinching.
30. Break into a cold sweat
Meaning: Start sweating from fear or anxiety.
In a Sentence: I broke into a cold sweat before presenting.
Other Ways to Say: Panic sweat, Feel clammy.
31. Quaking in one’s boots
Meaning: Trembling from fear.
In a Sentence: I was quaking in my boots when they called my name.
Other Ways to Say: Shake like a leaf, Tremble.
32. Not have the stomach for it
Meaning: Too scared to handle a situation.
In a Sentence: I don’t have the stomach for horror movies.
Other Ways to Say: Can’t handle it, Too fearful.
33. Break someone’s nerve
Meaning: To cause extreme fear in someone.
In a Sentence: That haunted house almost broke my nerve.
Other Ways to Say: Terrify, Rattle.
34. Trembling like a kitten
Meaning: Shaking from fear or cold.
In a Sentence: He was trembling like a kitten after the prank.
Other Ways to Say: Shivering, Quivering.
35. Turn pale
Meaning: Lose color due to fear.
In a Sentence: She turned pale when the lights went out.
Other Ways to Say: White as a sheet, Ghostly.
36. Heart skip a beat
Meaning: Feel sudden fear or surprise.
In a Sentence: My heart skipped a beat at the sound.
Other Ways to Say: Shock, Startle.
37. Afraid of one’s own shadow
Meaning: Very easily frightened.
In a Sentence: He’s afraid of his own shadow after the robbery.
Other Ways to Say: Jumpy, Overly scared.
38. Look like you’ve seen a ghost
Meaning: Appear pale and terrified.
In a Sentence: You look like you’ve seen a ghost — what happened?
Other Ways to Say: White as a sheet, Deathly pale.
39. Scare someone witless
Meaning: Frighten someone severely.
In a Sentence: That story scared me witless.
Other Ways to Say: Terrify, Petrify.
40. Cower in fear
Meaning: Cringe or shrink back in fear.
In a Sentence: The dog cowered in fear during the storm.
Other Ways to Say: Hide, Shrink.
41. Be horror-struck
Meaning: Extremely shocked and scared.
In a Sentence: We were horror-struck by the news.
Other Ways to Say: Stunned, Appalled.
42. Blood curdling
Meaning: Very frightening sound or scream.
In a Sentence: A blood-curdling scream echoed through the night.
Other Ways to Say: Terrifying, Spine-chilling.
43. Get spooked
Meaning: To be suddenly frightened.
In a Sentence: I get spooked walking alone at night.
Other Ways to Say: Be startled, Be alarmed.
44. Live in fear
Meaning: Constantly afraid.
In a Sentence: She lives in fear of losing her job.
Other Ways to Say: Be anxious, Always worried.
45. Dread the worst
Meaning: Expect something bad.
In a Sentence: I dreaded the worst when he was late.
Other Ways to Say: Fear the outcome, Expect disaster.
46. Sweat bullets
Meaning: To be extremely anxious.
In a Sentence: I was sweating bullets before the verdict.
Other Ways to Say: Panic, Feel intense fear.
47. Have the heebie-jeebies
Meaning: To feel uneasy or scared.
In a Sentence: That old attic gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Other Ways to Say: Feel jittery, Creeped out.
48. On tenterhooks
Meaning: In a state of uneasy suspense.
In a Sentence: I was on tenterhooks waiting for the call.
Other Ways to Say: Anxious, Restless.
49. A nervous wreck
Meaning: Extremely anxious or scared.
In a Sentence: She was a nervous wreck before the interview.
Other Ways to Say: Highly anxious, Stressed.
50. Freeze in one’s tracks
Meaning: Stop suddenly due to fear.
In a Sentence: I froze in my tracks when I saw the snake.
Other Ways to Say: Stop dead, Paralyze with fear.
