Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble: A scaremonger is someone who deliberately spreads alarming news or predictions, often exaggerating dangers to create fear, anxiety, or panic among people.

Usage

• The word "scaremonger" is used to describe a person whose actions are typically seen as irresponsible or manipulative. It carries a negative connotation, implying the person is causing unnecessary alarm.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The politician was accused of being a scaremonger for claiming the new policy would lead to economic collapse.
  • Don't listen to him; he's just a scaremonger trying to make everyone afraid.
  • The article criticized the media scaremongers who amplified the health risks beyond the scientific evidence.

Advanced Usage

• "To scaremonger" (verb, less common): The act of spreading frightening rumors. This verb form is derived from the noun but is used less frequently.
  • Some politicians scaremonger about immigration to gain votes.
• Conceptual use: The term can be applied metaphorically to institutions or media outlets perceived as promoting fear.
  • The newspaper was often labeled a scaremonger for its sensationalist headlines.

Variants and Related Words

• Scaremongering (noun): The activity or practice of spreading frightening rumors.
  • The campaign was based on scaremongering rather than facts.
• Alarmist (noun/adjective): A person who exaggerates a danger, or behavior that causes needless fear. (This is a close synonym but can sometimes be slightly less pejorative than "scaremonger".)

Synonyms

• Alarmist: A person who tends to raise alarms, especially excessively.
• Doomsayer: A person who predicts disaster.
• Fearmonger: A person who spreads fear, often used interchangeably with "scaremonger".

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To cry wolf: To raise a false alarm. (This idiom describes the action, while a "scaremonger" is the person who habitually does it.)
• To spread panic/fear: A phrase describing the scaremonger's typical action.

Noun

1. a person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble