jumpscare

See also: jump-scare and jump scare

English

Etymology

From jump +‎ scare.

Noun

jumpscare (plural jumpscares)

1. Alternative spelling of jump scare
   • 2011 January 27, [ste parker], “Re: BA Alan Wake”, in uk.games.video.misc‎^[1] (Usenet):

     I sit shaking in fear and shock from the horrible jumpscare.

   • 2011, Justin Mancini, "'Paranormal Activity 3' delivers more of the same scares", The Signal (College of New Jersey), Volume 135, Number 8, 20 October 2011, page 21:

     Do you like jumpscares? Well then, here's your movie!

   • 2013, Patrick Shanahan, "Insidious Chapter 2 Falls Flat", The Record (Saint Louis Priory School), Volume 44, Issue 5, 27 September 2013, page 6:

     It seemed that for every legitimate moment of tension and terror caused by Wan's brilliant style of camerawork (of which there surprisingly weren't many), there was a cheap jumpscare that just made you think: “Did they really just do that to me?”