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Scare the Pants Off

What Does "Scare the Pants Off" Mean?

homeidiomsScare the Pants Off
"Scare the pants off" is an English idiom. It means "to frighten someone intensely; to cause someone to be extremely afraid."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "scare the pants off" used in a sentence:
  • The horror movie's suspenseful scenes had the audience on edge and scared the pants off them.
  • His sudden appearance from behind the curtains scared the pants off the unsuspecting guests.
  • The ghost story told around the campfire was intended to scare the pants off the campers.
meaning for scare the pants off

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Scare the Pants Off" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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