Scare the living daylights out of Meaning in English
expression
SKAIR thuh LIV-ing DAY-lyts OWT uhv
SKAIR thuh LIV-ing DAY-lyts OWT ov
Definition
To frighten someone extremely, much more than just a small scare.
Usage & Nuances
Very informal, vivid idiom used mainly in speech. Usually followed by the person scared ('scare the living daylights out of me/him/her'). Avoid in formal writing. Similar to 'scare to death', but even more emphatic.
Spanish: asustar muchísimo a - asustar de muerte aPortuguese (BR): assustar pra caramba - dar um baita susto emPortuguese (PT): assustar imenso - dar um tremendo susto aChinese (Simplified): 把……吓得魂飛魄散 - 把……吓个半死Chinese (Traditional): 把……嚇得魂飛魄散 - 把……嚇個半死Hindi: किसी को बहुत बुरी तरह डरा देनाArabic: أخاف شخصًا إلى حد كبير - أفزع شخصًا بشدةBengali: হাত-পা কাঁপিয়ে দেয় - ভয় ধরিয়ে দেয় - প্রচণ্ড ভয় পাইয়ে দেয়Russian: напугать до смерти - испугать до потери сознанияJapanese: 肝を冷やす - ものすごく驚かせるVietnamese: làm ai đó sợ chết khiếp - làm hoảng hồnKorean: 간 떨어지게 놀라게 하다 - 소스라치게 하다Turkish: ödünü koparmak - ödünü patlatmakUrdu: ہوش اُڑا دینا - بہت زیادہ ڈرا دیناIndonesian: membuat takut setengah mati - membuat ketakutan luar biasa
Example Sentences
The dog scared the living daylights out of me when it barked loudly.
basic
The thunderstorm scared the living daylights out of the children.
basic
His Halloween costume scared the living daylights out of his friends.
basic
You scared the living daylights out of me sneaking up like that!
natural
That horror movie scared the living daylights out of us—we couldn’t sleep after!
natural
The sudden alarm scared the living daylights out of everyone in the office.
natural