100+ Scary Words for Poems, Stories, and Halloween
Whether you’re writing a horror story, a gothic-inspired poem, or simply want to expand your vocabulary, learning a few scary words might come in handy.
We cracked open our dusty, leather-bound dictionaries, brushed away the cobwebs, and unearthed a list of 100 scary words that are sure to give you the heebie-jeebies.
Need help brainstorming spooky sentences or story ideas? Try QuillBot’s AI Chat—it’s the perfect writing companion for when inspiration strikes (or haunts) you.
Other words for scary
“Scary” is an adjective that describes something frightening or likely to cause fear. Of course, what counts as scary is subjective: a movie that gives you nightmares for weeks, Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King’s It, or even an email that begins with “I hope this email finds you well.” Anything goes, and we won’t judge you for it.
From creepy to unnerving, there are many ways to convey the spine-tingling sensations fear can cause:
|
Word |
Intensity | Explanation |
Example |
| Terrifying | Very strong | Causes extreme fear or horror. | The terrifying roar echoed through the dark forest. |
| Nightmarish | Very strong | Evokes the feeling of a nightmare—surreal and deeply disturbing. | The abandoned fairground looked nightmarish in the fog. |
| Hair-raising | Strong | So frightening it makes your hair stand on end. | They told a hair-raising ghost story by the campfire. |
| Frightening | Strong | Alarming or dread-inducing; broadly applicable. | A frightening shadow moved across the hallway. |
| Formidable | Moderate | Inspires fear or respect due to size, strength, or skill. | The knight faced a formidable dragon guarding the treasure. |
| Horrible | Moderate | Causing horror or disgust; can be physical or emotional. | A horrible monster with a bloodcurdling scream was said to lurk in the forest. |
| Terrible | Moderate | Suggests fear, shock, or dread; often dramatic. | A terrible ghoul crawled from the graveyard at midnight, hungering for the souls of the living. |
| Alarming | Mild | Causes concern, fear, or surprise. | The sudden noise was alarming in the quiet night. |
| Fearful | Mild | Feeling afraid or apprehensive; less intense. | She was fearful of venturing into the dark attic. |
| Nerve-racking | Mild | Mentally stressful or anxiety-inducing. | Waiting alone in the old graveyard was utterly nerve-racking. |
Words that rhyme with scary
Want to add a little rhyme to your haunted tales? Here are some words that rhyme with “scary”—perfect for Halloween poems, haunting captions, or eerie limericks.
Perfect rhymes for scary
- Aerie (also spelled aery or eyrie)—A nest of a bird of prey, especially an eagle.
- Airy—Light or delicate; spacious.
- Fairy—A mythical being with magical powers.
- Hairy—Covered with hair; also used to describe something difficult or dangerous.
- Mary—A common female name.
- Prairie—A large open area of grassland.
- Wary—Cautious or suspicious.
- Dairy—A place where milk is processed and dairy products are made.
Slant rhymes for scary
- Beery—Slightly intoxicated; tipsy.
- Bleary—Tired, unfocused, or blurred vision.
- Blurry—Not clear or distinct; fuzzy.
- Carry—To hold or transport something.
- Chary—Cautious or wary.
- Cheery—Bright, happy, or cheerful.
- Eerie—Strange, mysterious, or unsettling.
- Furry—Covered in hair or fur.
- Fury—Intense anger or rage.
- Gory—Involving blood, violence, or gruesome detail.
- Hoary—Very old or gray; ancient.
- Hurry—To move or act quickly.
- Dreary—Dull, depressing, or bleak.
List of scary words
You’ve mastered the nuances of scary vocabulary; now comes the main event. Think of this list as the linguistic equivalent of turning off all the lights and listening for every creak, whisper, and shadow in the dark. We’ve compiled 100 truly spine-chilling words, from subtly unsettling to downright terrifying.
Scary words that start with A
- alarming
- awful
- aghast
- alarmingly
- afraid
- arachnophobia
- abhorrence
- abomination
- appalling
- apparition
Scary words that start with B
- banshee
- baleful
- bloodcurdling
- bloodthirsty
- beastly
- bizarre
- bone-chilling
- bewitch
Scary words that start with C
- creepy
- chilling
- coffin
- cadaverous
- cursed
- corpselike
- cemetery
- crypt
Scary words that start with D
- dark
- dreadful
- decay
- devil
- doom
- death
- dungeon
Scary words that start with E
- eerie
- evil
- ensnared
- exorcism
- enchanted
- entombed
- ectoplasm
- embalm
Scary words that start with F
- frightful
- fear
- funereal
- freaky
Scary words that start with G
- ghost
- grotesque
- grim
- ghoulish
- gruesome
- gory
- grave
Scary words that start with H
- hell
- hair-raising
- horrendous
- hideous
- haunted
- horrifying
- Halloween
- heebie-jeebies
- horrid
- howl
Scary words that start with I
- intimidating
- intruder
- insane
- insidious
- infernal
- ill-fated
- icky
Scary words that start with J
- Jack-o’-lantern
- jinx
- jarring
- jittery
- joyless
Scary words that start with K
- kraken
- killer
- knell
- knave
Scary words that start with L
- lurking
- lacerate
- leech
- lethal
- loathsome
- lifeless
- looming
- lycanthrope
Scary words that start with M
- morbid
- menacing
- malevolent
- malicious
- macabre
- monstrous
- mausoleum
- mayhem
- mummy
Scary words that start with N
- nerve-racking
- nefarious
- nightmarish
- nocturnal
- nightfall
- necromancy
Scary words that start with O
- ominous
- otherworldly
- occult
- ogre
- ordeal
- obliterate
Scary words that start with P
- possessed
- poisonous
- petrified
- paranormal
- panicky
- paralyzing
- phantasmal
- perilous
Scary words that start with Q
- quiver
- queasy
Scary words that start with R
- rotten
- ruin
- revolting
- reptilian
- rabid
- ravenous
- ritual
Scary words that start with S
- spooky
- satanic
- savage
- scarecrow
- scream
- sorcerer
- sepulchral
- sinister
- slithering
- specter
- spine-chilling (spine-tingling)
- supernatural squalid
- skeleton
- seance
- spell
- superstitious
Scary words that start with T
- terrifying
- torture
- thriller
- tragic
- threatening
- toxic
- tombstone
Scary words that start with U
- unsettling
- uncanny
- undead
- underworld
- unearthly
Scary words that start with V
- vampire
- vicious
- violent
- vile
Scary words that start with W
- werewolf
- witch
- wicked
- wraith
- worrisome
- wary
- wailing
Scary words that start with X
- xenomorph
Scary words that start with Y
- yelp
- yucky
- yelling
Scary words that start with Z
- zombie
- zany
Frequently asked questions for scary words
- What are some words with a scary tone?
-
Words with a scary tone include adjectives like “eerie,” “creepy,” “sinister,” “haunting,” and “terrifying,” and verbs and nouns like “creep,” “scream,” “dread,” and “fear.”To explore more spooky words, try QuillBot’s Paraphraser. It will help you set an eerie mood in stories, poems, or Halloween writing.
- What are some scary Halloween words?
-
Some scary Halloween words include “ghost,” “haunted,” “spooky,” “macabre,” and “eerie.” Other common words are refer to creatures, like “vampire,” “zombie,” and “ghoul.” They can also describe eerie settings, such as “crypt,” “tomb,” or “graveyard.”
To make your Halloween writing even more chilling, use QuillBot’s Paraphraser to experiment with tone and find the perfect spooky phrasing.
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Nikolopoulou, K. (2025, October 22). 100+ Scary Words for Poems, Stories, and Halloween. Quillbot. Retrieved October 24, 2025, from https://quillbot.com/blog/word-finder/100-scary-words/
