scare quotes
plural noun
a pair of quotation marks used around a term or phrase to indicate that the writer does not think it is being used appropriately or that the writer is using it in a specialized sense: a “huge breakthrough” in the negotiations.
Compare air quotes.
Words nearby scare quotes
scarcely ever,
scarcement,
scarcity,
scare,
scare out of one's wits,
scare quotes,
scare up,
scarecrow,
scaredy-cat,
scarehead,
scaremonger
British Dictionary definitions for scare quotes
scare quotes
pl n
quotation marks placed around a word or phrase to indicate that it should not be taken literally or automatically accepted as true