To be scared means to feel fear or worry about something that might hurt you or that you don't want to happen. When you're scared, your heart might beat faster, your stomach might feel tight, and you might want to run away or hide.

People get scared for all kinds of reasons. You might feel scared before giving a speech in front of your class, scared of the dark in your bedroom at night, or scared when watching a suspenseful movie. Some kids are scared of spiders or thunderstorms, while others might be scared of failing a test they studied hard for.

Being scared is a normal human feeling that actually helps protect us. When our ancestors encountered dangerous animals, feeling scared helped them react quickly to stay safe. Today, we still get that same scared feeling even when the danger isn't physical, like when we're worried about embarrassing ourselves or disappointing someone we care about.

The word scared is closely related to afraid and frightened, though scared tends to be the most casual of the three. You might say “I'm scared of dogs” in everyday conversation, while frightened sounds a bit more formal or intense.