Jump Scare 

A tactic used in horror movies to scare people, the jump scare is used by unimaginative filmmakers as a cheap method of frightening the audience; i.e, making them literally "jump" out of their seats. This device is being increasingly employed in modern horror movies, along with gratuitous amounts of gore, because the directors have forgotten how to actually scare people.

A scantily clad, bosomy teenager who hears a suspicious noise in her empty house on a rainy night while watching a movie gets up from the couch to investigate its source. Walking slowly, she calls out, "Is anybody there?" As she nears the kitchen, a black cat streaks across the hallway, accompanied by a loud, piercing measure of orchestral music. "Oh, whiskers, you silly cat, you scared me!" she says, breathing a sigh of relief. She turns around, anxious to get back to her movie, when an axe suddenly buries itself in her skull.

Most of the audience screams in fright. However, the veteran horror movie fans in the theater have seen way too many cheap uses of the jump scare to be fooled. They shake their heads and think about the good old days when movies like The Shining were actually able to genuinely scare them.

Jump Scare by gimmedatsammich April 6, 2011

jump scare 

Random moments in movies and games where something loud and crazy happens out of nowhere, usually causing the viewers to "jump" out of excitement/fear.

Usually makes little kids and pre-teen girls crap themselves with little effort.

Guy 1: "Did you see that new movie, 'Generic Horror Flick 2'?"

Guy 2: "Yeah, it was pretty shitty. There were jump scares every two nanoseconds."

jump scare by NarooN October 31, 2011

Jump scare 

an image you see that is so ugly or gruesome it scares you, makes your heart stop for a second.

“ did you see that picture Jen posted yesterday? “
“ yeah & she thinks that looked good?! instant jump scare “

Jump scare by DrDaniiiPhantom May 18, 2024

fruity table jump scare

when you are at the fruity table and someone is close to ratting themselves out, causing a jump scare for the other members

r slice almost put his elbows on the fruity table. what a fruity table jump scare!

fruity table jump scare by batergacken April 4, 2021

Lobster jump scare

A image of a lobster Screaming in the background

Jafar: yo do you want to see this video I just watch

Dave: oh sure let me see

Lobster jump scare: (screaming sound effect)

Dave: (scream)

Jafar: hehehe

Lobster jump scare by Jeff2279 August 28, 2022

Worst Jump-scare 

Lolbit

Lolbit’s has the Worst Jump-scare and yet the best

Worst Jump-scare by Opalz or Libraz September 3, 2020

Post Jump-Scare Syndrome

Having no emotion or reaction to anything 10 minutes following a jump-scare, leaving the victim completely unresponsive.

Chris R.: “Oh you have stage 5 PJS? What’s that mean?”

Case O.: “Post Jump-Scare Syndrome. It’s the 10 minutes after a horrific jump-scare, nothing is real and you’re just in a trance like state.”

Post Jump-Scare Syndrome by r0se.m4ri October 23, 2025