Phrase guide

scare quote

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A quotation mark deliberately used to provoke a reaction or to indicate that the author does not approve of a term or clause, rather than to identify a direct quotation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shudder quote, sneer quote

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the use of quotation marks to indicate that it is not the authors preferred terminology

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: quotation mark, quote, inverted comma

History

Etymology

Coined by British analytic philosopher G. E. M. Anscombe in 1956 in her essay “Aristotle and the Sea Battle”. Originally spelt with a hyphen.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: ironinen lainausmerkki — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • French: guillemet ironique — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • German: ironisches Anführungszeichen — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • Italian: virgolette ironiche — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • Polish: cudzysłów ironiczny — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • Portuguese: aspas irónicas — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • Portuguese: aspas irônicas — quotation mark used to provoke reaction
  • Spanish: cita de miedo — quotation mark used to provoke reaction