scare off
English
[edit]Verb
[edit]scare off (third-person singular simple present scares off, present participle scaring off, simple past and past participle scared off)
- (transitive) To cause (something) to flee by frightening it.
- A quick growl scared off the mouse.
- 1949 November and December, K. Longbottom, “By Goods Train to Gweedore”, in Railway Magazine, page 356:
- His chief trouble was stray sheep, and he scared most of them off with the draincocks and whistle.
- 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 258:
- An unusual custom is followed at Llangennith, when shotguns are fired at a wedding - to scare off evil spirits from the newlyweds.
- (transitive) To deter.
- The hefty price tag scared off any potential buyers.
Translations
[edit]to cause something to flee by frightening it
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to deter
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