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Glite Dictionary
to scare the bejesus

to scare the bejesus

5 9.0
To frighten someone very much by a sudden event or loud noise
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : asustar mucho
  • That sudden loud noise scared the bejesus out of me.
  • scare the bejesus out of people

According to Chandler, what phenomenon scares the bejesus out of him?

Examples

Synonyms

to scare
vsto scare the bejesus
∞ 1.0

To make someone feel afraid or unsure of themselves

is used for extreme surprise or shock rather than ordinary fear
to frighten
vsto scare the bejesus
540 1.0

To make someone feel afraid

is much stronger, indicating extreme shock and very strong fear
to shock
vsto scare the bejesus
202 2.1

To cause someone to feel sudden surprise and distress

is about strong fear and extreme reaction rather than only surprise
to terrify
vsto scare the bejesus
148 3.2

To make someone feel very frightened

is about sudden shock or surprise as well as intense fear
to startle
vsto scare the bejesus
131 3.7

To make someone react suddenly because they feel surprised or afraid

is used for much greater fright and longer-lasting alarm
to spook
vsto scare the bejesus
97 4.8

To suddenly frighten a person or animal so they panic

is stronger in shock and surprise, not always merely brief disturbance
to horrify
vsto scare the bejesus
90 4.3

Make someone feel very shocked, afraid, or disgusted

focuses more on extreme fright and surprise, not chiefly disgust
to appall
vsto scare the bejesus
64 5.5

To make someone feel shocked and very upset by something cruel or wrong

involves strong fear and surprise rather than broad moral disturbance
to scare someone to death
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
59 3.7

To frighten someone very much

emphasizes sudden shock and surprise rather than only severe lasting fear
to scare the hell out of
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
56 6.7

To make someone very afraid

is used for sudden shocks rather than gradual or mild fear
to give someone chills
vsto scare the bejesus
12 5.8

To cause a sudden feeling of fear or strong excitement that makes someone shiver

is stronger, stressing extreme surprise and frightening intensity rather than mild awe
to stun
vsto scare the bejesus
11 3.0

To surprise someone so much they cannot react for a short time

causes extreme fright and shock but does not require temporary inability to act
to stagger
vsto scare the bejesus
7 3.8

Surprise someone very much

is more about causing intense fear and shock rather than just surprise
to petrify
vsto scare the bejesus
7 4.8

To make someone so frightened that they cannot move or think

expresses extreme shock too, but allows active reaction rather than paralysis
to scare the bejesus out of
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
5 8.8

To make someone very afraid

is the colloquial version stressing the same sudden extreme shock
to scare the pants off
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
3 8.2

To frighten someone very much

is about extreme shock with surprise rather than steady terror
to put the fear of God into
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
3 8.2

Make people very afraid and make them respect you by showing power

is about sudden extreme shock rather than instilling respect by authority
to scare the living daylights out of
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
3 6.9

To frighten someone very much

is similar but often stresses sudden surprise as well
to scare the life out of
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
3 5.6

To make someone very afraid

is more focused on extreme surprise and lasting fright than mere startle
to shock the hell out of someone
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
2 8.1

To surprise someone suddenly and very strongly

is similar but places equal weight on fear as on emotional shock
to fright
vsto scare the bejesus
2 3.2

To make someone feel afraid

is expressed as an action causing extreme shock rather than a simple feeling
to send chills down someone's spine
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
1 5.9

Make someone feel a sudden strong fear or excitement

expresses intense shock similarly but often emphasizes physical sensation more
to send shivers down someone's spine
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
1 6.0

Cause someone to feel a sudden strong fear or excitement

shows intense emotional shock too but focuses on fear rather than thrill
to make someone's skin crawl
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Informal
7.4

Cause a strong feeling of fear or disgust with a creepy physical feeling

focuses more on sudden shock and extreme fright, not lingering disgust
to do someone a frighten
vsto scare the bejesus
  • Irish
9.9

To suddenly scare someone and make them jump

is a stronger, non-humorous expression of extreme shock and fear

Antonyms

to soothe
63 3.4

To make someone feel calmer or reduce their pain

How Scary

to petrify
7 4.8
to scare the bejesus
  • Informal
5 9.0
to frighten
540 1.0
to startle
131 3.7

Surface Forms

scare the bejesus infinitive
scared the bejesus past
scared the bejesus past participle
scaring the bejesus present participle
scares the bejesus third person singular

Morphology

scare + the + bejesus

The verb 'scare' clearly contributes the sense of frightening, and 'bejesus' functions as an informal expletive/intensifier (originally a reference to ‘Jesus’) so the combined meaning 'frighten very much' is partly derivable. However, the expression is colloquial, culturally marked and uses an idiomatic intensifying slot (often with 'out of'), so its exact force and acceptability are not fully predictable to a B1 learner, making it only partially transparent.

Etymology

Scare the bejesus likely comes from old shouts using the name 'Jesus', with bejesus a milder, changed form of that word used to show shock. So the picture is someone so frightened they shout, and to scare the bejesus means 'to frighten someone very much'.