scared to death

Questions

What does scared to death mean?

Extremely frightened.

Where does scared to death come from?

Could be a reformation of Old English oþ dēaþ ondrǣdan (literally “to be scared to death”).

How to pronounce scared to death

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scared to death”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “scared to death”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “scared to death” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.