Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say "Scary" in Spanish: Aterrador, Espantoso, and Dar Miedo
Aterrador · adjective · ah-teh-rrah-DOHR
Scary in Spanish can be aterrador (terrifying), espantoso (frightful), tenebroso (creepy/dark), or escalofriante (chilling). The most natural everyday construction is da miedo (it's scary, literally 'it gives fear').
ah-teh-rrah-DOHR — four syllables, stress on DOHR. Feminine: aterradora.
Esa película de terror es realmente aterradora.
That horror movie is really scary.
Scary in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for scary, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| aterrador | scary | ah-teh-rrah-DOHR | Default, widely understood |
| da miedo | scary | Universal (it's scary / it gives fear) | |
| espantoso | scary | Universal (frightful) | |
| tenebroso | scary | Universal (creepy, dark) |
How Native Speakers Use Aterrador
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing a movie
No veas esa serie de noche, es bastante aterradora.
Don't watch that series at night, it's pretty scary.
Aterrador/aterradora is a strong adjective for genuinely frightening content.
Using dar miedo (casual)
Esa casa abandonada da mucho miedo, sobre todo de noche.
That abandoned house is really scary, especially at night.
Da miedo is the most common everyday way to say something is scary in conversational Spanish.
Creepy atmosphere (tenebroso)
El sótano tenía un ambiente tenebroso con telarañas y humedad.
The basement had a creepy atmosphere with cobwebs and dampness.
Tenebroso implies dark, gloomy creepiness rather than jump-scare frightening.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Aterrador
Using asustado when you mean scary
Incorrect: La película es muy asustada.
Correct: La película es muy aterradora. / La película da mucho miedo.
Asustado means scared (the person feeling fear). For the thing causing fear, use aterrador, espantoso, or the construction dar miedo. Scary ≠ scared.
Saying miedo as an adjective
Incorrect: Es una película miedo.
Correct: Es una película de miedo.
Miedo (fear) is a noun, not an adjective. You need the preposition de: película de miedo (horror movie, literally movie of fear). Alternatively use an adjective: película aterradora.
Lock in Scary Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Aterrador used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using aterrador in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Esa película de terror es realmente aterradora. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Scary in Spanish
- How do you say scary in Spanish?
- The most common options: aterrador (terrifying), espantoso (frightful), tenebroso (creepy), escalofriante (spine-chilling). In conversation, da miedo (it gives fear / it's scary) is the most natural construction.
- What's the difference between aterrador and tenebroso?
- Aterrador means actively terrifying — something that causes immediate fear. Tenebroso is creepy, dark, and unsettling — more about atmosphere and dread than outright fright. A horror movie is aterradora; a dimly lit abandoned hallway is tenebroso.
- How do you say scary story in Spanish?
- Historia de terror or cuento de miedo (scary story). You can also say historia aterradora (terrifying story) or leyenda escalofriante (chilling legend).