scare off

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Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Verb (transitive):
    • To cause someone or something to lose courage, enthusiasm, or resolve, typically by inducing fear, intimidation, or discouragement. The action results in the target retreating, withdrawing, or abandoning an intention.
Usage
  • The verb "scare off" is used to describe the act of frightening or discouraging someone/something so that they go away or decide not to do something. It is a phrasal verb where "off" indicates the resulting movement away or cessation.
  • It typically takes a direct object (the person or thing being scared away).
  • Common Structures:
    • scare off [someone/something]
    • [someone/something] is scared off by [something]
Examples

  • Active Voice:

    • The loud noise scared off the birds from the feeder.
    • High prices are scaring off potential buyers in the current market.
    • She didn't want his aggressive attitude to scare off new investors.

  • Passive Voice:

    • The protesters were scared off by the police presence.
    • Many applicants are scared off by the lengthy and complex form.
Advanced Usage
  • "to scare someone/something off of something": To deter from a specific place, activity, or idea.
    • The security guard's dog scared the teenagers off of the private property.
    • A few bad reviews shouldn't scare you off of trying the new restaurant.
Variants and Related Words
  • Scare away: A synonym with identical meaning and usage.
    • The bright lights scared the deer away.
  • Frighten off: A more formal synonym.
    • The sudden movement frightened off the intruder.
  • Deter: (Verb) To discourage or prevent from acting, often through doubt or fear of consequences. This is a close synonym but is not a phrasal verb.
    • The risk of fines is meant to deter illegal parking.
Synonyms
  • Intimidate: To frighten or overawe, especially to make them do what one wants.
  • Daunt: To make someone feel intimidated or apprehensive.
  • Discourage: To cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm.
  • Disperse: To cause to spread over a wide area; to scatter (often used for groups).
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Scare up: To find or obtain something with difficulty, often through resourcefulness. (Note: This is a different phrasal verb with a distinct meaning).
    • I'll try to scare up some extra chairs for the meeting.
Related Idioms
  • To scare the pants off (someone): To frighten someone very much.
    • That horror movie scared the pants off me! (This idiom emphasizes extreme fear, while "scare off" focuses on causing retreat.)
Verb
  1. cause to lose courage
    • dashed by the refusal

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