different between ominous vs scary

English

Etymology

From Latin ominosus (“full of foreboding”), from omen (“forbidden fruit, omen”), from os (“the mouth”) + -men.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??m?n?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??m?n?s/
• Hyphenation: o?mi?nous

Adjective

ominous (comparative more ominous, superlative most ominous)

1. Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen; significant.
2. Specifically, giving indication of a coming ill; being an evil omen

   Synonyms: threatening, portentous, inauspicious

   • California poll support for Jerry Brown's tax increases has ominous implications for U.S. taxpayers too Los Angeles Times Headline April 25, 2011

Usage notes

• Formerly used both in a favorable and unfavorable sense; now chiefly in the latter; foreboding or foreshadowing evil; inauspicious; as, an ominous dread.
• Nouns to which "ominous" is often applied: sign, silence, warning, cloud, note, sound, shadow, threat, music, tone, implication, message, presence, development, voice, portent, turn, sky, figure, dream, event, trend, change, day, beginning, growl, cry, signal, pattern.

Synonyms

• portentous
• sinister
• threatening

Derived terms

• ominously
• ominousness

Related terms

• omen
• abomination

Translations

Further reading

• ominous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ominous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• suimono

English

Alternative forms

• scarey (dated)

Etymology 1

scare +? -y

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: skâr'? IPA^(key): /?sk???i/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sk???i/, /?sk??i/
  • Homophone: skerry (in accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger)

Adjective

scary (comparative scarier, superlative scariest)

1. (now chiefly informal) Causing fear or anxiety

   Synonyms: frightening, hair-raising, petrifying, terrifying; see also Thesaurus:frightening

   The tiger's jaws were scary.

   She was hiding behind her pillow during the scary parts of the film.

   • 1884, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 29,^[1]

     Well, we swarmed along down the river road, just carrying on like wildcats; and to make it more scary the sky was darking up, and the lightning beginning to wink and flitter, and the wind to shiver amongst the leaves.

   • 1982, Anne Tyler, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, New York: Ivy Books, 1992, Chapter 2, p. 70,^[2]

     “ […] How scary it is to know that everyone I love depends on me! I’m afraid I’ll do something wrong.”

2. (informal) Uncannily striking or surprising.

   Linda changed her hair, and it’s scary how much she looks like her mother.

3. (US, colloquial) Subject to sudden alarm; easily frightened.

   Synonyms: nervous, jumpy

   • 1823, James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, New York: Charles Wiley, Volume 2, Chapter 5, p. 77,^[3]

     “Whist! whist!” said Natty, in a low voice, on hearing a slight sound made by Elizabeth, in bending over the side of the canoe, in eager curiosity; “’tis a sceary animal, and it’s a far stroke for a spear. […] ” [the UK edition of the same year has scary (p. 262)]^[4]

   • 1867, John Greenleaf Whittier, “The Wreck of Rivermouth” in The Tent on the Beach, and Other Poems, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, p. 25,^[5]

     “She’s cursed,” said the skipper; “speak her fair:

     I’m scary always to see her shake

     Her wicked head, with its wild gray hair,

     And nose like a hawk, and eyes like a snake.”

   • 1916, Texas Department of Agriculture, Bulletin (issues 47-57), page 150:

     And let us say to these interests that, until the Buy-It-Made-In-Texas movement co-operates with the farmers, we are going to be a little scary of the snare.

   • 1940, Richard Wright, Native Son, London: Jonathan Cape, 1970, Book 1, p. 10,^[6]

     The two brothers stood over the dead rat […] .

     “Please, Bigger, take ’im out,” Vera begged.

     “Aw, don’t be so scary,” Buddy said.

Derived terms

• scarily
• scariness
• scarisome / scarysome
• scary sharp

Translations

Etymology 2

From dialectal English scare (“scraggy”).

Noun

scary

1. Barren land having only a thin coat of grass.

Anagrams

• -crasy, Carys, Crays, carsy, crays, scray