Frighten/scare somebody to death Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Exaggeration Used to describe an intense emotion or reaction, not a literal death. The jump scare in the movie frightened me to death. Pro Tip 2/3Informal Context Best used in casual conversations, can be too informal for official or serious contexts. When the lights went out, it scared us to death. Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Impact Implies a sudden, strong emotional shock or fright, not a lingering fear. Hearing the gunshot, I was almost scared to death.