scare the pants off

VERB

scare

Synonyms

STRONGEST

alarm awe daunt dismay intimidate paralyze petrify shock startle terrify terrorize

STRONG

affright chill freeze panic spook

WEAK

give a fright give a turn scare silly scare stiff shake up strike terror in

Antonyms

STRONGEST

assist assure calm comfort encourage expect help incite please soothe stimulate

STRONG

heat

WEAK

reassure

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the lo-fi original can still scare the pants off you.

From Salon • Jul. 6, 2020

One of my favorite parts of Halloween is having an excuse to scare the pants off people.

From The Verge • Oct. 31, 2018

They came to scare the pants off of you.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2018

But only Fleetwood Mac has Stevie Nicks, a petite blonde who could scare the pants off J.R.

From Washington Post • Dec. 20, 2017

“It would scare the pants off the Mayor and leading businessmen.”

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson