scare noun

ADJ. major, terrible a major health scare | minor | bomb | food, health | Aids, BSE, etc.

VERB + SCARE cause | give sb It wasn't a serious heart attack, but it gave him a terrible scare. | get, have

SCARE + NOUN story, tactics The government used scare tactics to get parents to have their children vaccinated against the disease.

PREP. ~ about/over the scare over British beef

PHRASES a bit of a/quite a scare I got a bit of a scare when the police rang.