Lately I’ve been poking at Tagalog words and how they shift tone, and 'scary' is a fun little case. The straightforward, everyday adjective is 'nakakatakot' — it literally means 'causing fear' and you’ll hear it in casual speech: 'Nakakatakot ang dilim.'
If you want something more formal or literary, I lean toward 'nakakagimbal' or 'kahila-hilakbot.' 'Nakakagimbal' shows up in news reports or descriptive prose to mean 'dreadful' or 'alarming,' while 'kahila-hilakbot' is weighty and old-fashioned, great for dramatic writing. For a spine-tingling nuance, 'nakakikilabot' or 'nakakatindig-balahibo' are vivid and slightly elevated.
In short, when I’m aiming for a formal register in Tagalog, I’ll pick 'nakakagimbal' or 'kahila-hilakbot' depending on how intense I want to sound — both carry a more literary vibe than the everyday 'nakakatakot.' I find those choices make descriptions feel richer and more theatrical.