How do you use "Scared Stiff" in a sentence?

I was scared stiff during the horror film. The children were scared stiff of the neighbor's dog. He was scared stiff before his first public speech. I'm scared stiff of heights.

Scared Stiff

Q: What does "Scared Stiff" mean?

Extremely frightened, paralyzed with fear Being 'scared stiff' means being so terrified that you freeze—your body becomes rigid and immobile with fear. It describes the primal fear response where flight isn't possible, so the body prepares to 'freeze' instead.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Significado: Extremely frightened, paralyzed with fear

吓呆了；怕得要死

Muerto de miedo; paralizado por el terror

恐怖で硬直する；怖くてたまらない

겁에 질려 꼼짝 못하는; 무서워 죽겠는

Being 'scared stiff' means being so terrified that you freeze—your body becomes rigid and immobile with fear. It describes the primal fear response where flight isn't possible, so the body prepares to 'freeze' instead.

'scared stiff'意味着害怕到僵住——身体因恐惧而变得僵硬不能动弹。它描述了一种原始的恐惧反应：当逃跑不可能时，身体就准备'僵住'。

Estar 'scared stiff' significa estar tan aterrorizado que te quedas paralizado: tu cuerpo se vuelve rígido e inmóvil por el miedo. Describe la respuesta primaria al miedo cuando huir no es posible, así que el cuerpo se prepara para 'congelarse' en su lugar.

「scared stiff」は恐怖で固まってしまうほど怖いこと——体が恐怖で硬直して動けなくなる。逃げることができないとき、代わりに体が「固まる」という原始的な恐怖反応を表す。

'Scared stiff'는 너무 무서워서 몸이 얼어붙는 것을 뜻한다—공포로 인해 몸이 뻣뻣해지고 움직일 수 없게 된다. 도망칠 수 없을 때 '동결' 반응으로 몸이 준비하는, 원초적인 공포 반응을 묘사한다.

Significado literal: So scared your body becomes rigid

Ejemplos

I was scared stiff during the horror film.
看恐怖片时我吓呆了
Estaba muerto de miedo durante la película de terror
ホラー映画を見ている間、恐怖で固まっていた
공포 영화를 보는 동안 무서워서 꼼짝도 못했다.
The children were scared stiff of the neighbor's dog.
孩子们怕邻居的狗怕得要命
Los niños estaban aterrados del perro del vecino
子供たちは隣の犬を死ぬほど怖がっていた
아이들은 이웃집 개를 무서워 죽을 지경이었다.
He was scared stiff before his first public speech.
第一次公开演讲前他紧张得僵住了
Estaba paralizado de miedo antes de su primer discurso público
初めての人前でのスピーチの前、彼は恐怖で硬直していた
첫 대중 연설 전에 그는 겁에 질려 굳어 있었다.
I'm scared stiff of heights.
我恐高得要命
Me aterran las alturas
私は高所恐怖症だ
나는 높은 곳이 무서워 죽겠다.

Pronunciación

/skeəd stɪf/

Guía de uso

Contexto: fear, phobias, horror

Tono: emphatic, vivid

✓ Correcto

I was scared stiff.
我吓得动不了了
Estaba muerto de miedo
怖くて体が固まった
무서워서 꼼짝도 못 했어.
She's scared stiff of spiders.
她怕蜘蛛怕得要命
Le dan un miedo atroz las arañas
彼女はクモが怖くてたまらない
그녀는 거미를 무서워 죽겠대.
We were all scared stiff.
我们都吓得僵住了
Estábamos todos muertos de miedo
みんな恐怖で固まった
우리 모두 겁에 질려 굳었어.

✗ Incorrecto

Very common expression
非常常用的表达
Expresión muy común
非常に一般的な表現
매우 흔히 쓰이는 표현
Slightly hyperbolic for mild fears
对于轻微的恐惧略显夸张
Ligeramente hiperbólico para miedos leves
軽い恐怖にはやや誇張
가벼운 두려움에는 다소 과장된 표현

Errores comunes

It's 'scared STIFF' not 'scared STIFFLY'
Similar to 'scared witless' or 'scared silly'

Origen e historia

The phrase captures the real physical response to extreme fear—muscles tense, the body becomes rigid, and movement becomes difficult. This 'freeze' response is a genuine physiological reaction to terror, making the phrase both metaphorically expressive and physically accurate.

Etimología: From the physical stiffening response to fear

Primera vez registrado: Early 20th century

Contexto cultural

Era: Early 20th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: 'Scared Stiff' - Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis film (1953); Common in horror movie descriptions

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking countries.

Variaciones

Scared stiffScared rigidScared witless

Frases relacionadas

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Chuffed ★★★★★ Very pleased or delighted about something Knackered ★★★★★ Extremely tired or exhausted Gutted ★★★★★ Extremely disappointed or upset Buzzing ★★★★★ Feeling excited and full of energy Fuming ★★★★★ Extremely angry Livid ★★★★★ Furiously angry