scare someone out of their wits
scare someone out of their wits
If something or someone scares you out of your wits, they make you very frightened or worried. Oh, I'm so glad you're all right! You scared us out of our wits. We heard you had an accident. Note: You can also say that something or someone scares the wits out of you. His writing scares the wits out of me. Note: The verb frighten is sometimes used instead of scare. The tree crashed through the conservatory, frightening me out of my wits.
See also: of, out, scare, someone, wit
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
- frighten
- be frightened to death
- scared to death
- scare
- scared out of (one's) wits
- be scared witless
- scare the wits out of (one)
- scare (one) out of (one's) wits
- scare out of one's wits
- scare someone witless