1 A2 neutral
(Literal) To cause a person or animal to flee by making them afraid.
"The dog's loud barking was enough to scare off the burglar."
separable
scare off
A2 neutral separable transitive
To deter or cause someone or something to leave by frightening them.
In plain English
To make someone or something go away by scaring them.
What does "scare off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
(Figurative) To discourage someone from doing something or continuing a relationship by making them feel nervous or uncomfortable.
"He was worried that talking about commitment too early would scare her off."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To frighten something so that it goes off — transparent.
Actually means
To make someone or something go away by scaring them.
Usage tip
Virtually interchangeable with 'scare away'. Very common in both literal and figurative use. In business contexts, often used to mean deterring customers or investors.
Words that pair with "scare off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
investors customers competition predators intruders buyers
How to conjugate "scare off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
scare off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
scares off
he/she/it
Past simple
scared off
yesterday
Past participle
scared off
have + pp
-ing form
scaring off
continuous
Hear "scare off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "scare off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.