fear

¹

[ feer ]

noun

1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

   Synonyms: qualm, trepidation, horror, panic, fright, terror, dread, dismay, consternation, apprehension, foreboding

   Antonyms: intrepidity, calm, security, courage

2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling:

   an abnormal fear of heights.

   Synonyms: bête noire, aversion, phobia, bugbear, bogey, bogy

   Antonyms: predilection, penchant, fondness, liking

3. concern or anxiety; solicitude:

   a fear for someone's safety.

4. reverential awe, especially toward God:

   the fear of God.

   Synonyms: veneration, reverence, respect, awe

5. something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of:

   Cancer is a common fear.

6. anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur:

   Having grown up during the Great Depression, he had a constant fear of running out of money.

verb (used with object)

1. to regard with fear; be afraid of.

   Synonyms: dread, apprehend

2. to have reverential awe of.

   Synonyms: honor, venerate, revere

3. to consider or anticipate (something unpleasant) with a feeling of dread or alarm:

   It's about to snow again, I fear.

4. Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself):

   I fear me he will ne'er forgive us.

verb (used without object)

1. to have fear; be afraid:

   I'll go with you, so do not fear!

2. to feel apprehensive or uneasy (usually followed by for ):

   In this time of economic instability, I fear for my children's future.

Fear

²

[ feer ]

noun

1. a river in SE North Carolina. 202 miles (325 km) long.
2. Cape, a cape at its mouth.

fear

/ fɪə /

noun

1. a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, etc
2. a cause of this feeling
3. awe; reverence

   fear of God

4. concern; anxiety
5. possibility; chance

   there is no fear of that happening

6. for fear of
   for fear offor fear thatfor fear lest to forestall or avoid
7. no fear
   no fear certainly not
8. put the fear of God into
   put the fear of God into to frighten

verb

1. to be afraid (to do something) or of (a person or thing); dread
2. tr to revere; respect
3. tr; takes a clause as object to be sorry: used to lessen the effect of an unpleasant statement

   I fear that you have not won

4. intrfoll byfor to feel anxiety about something
5. See frighten
   an archaic word for frighten

Derived Forms

• ˈfearlessly, adverb
• ˈfearer, noun
• ˈfearlessness, noun
• ˈfearless, adjective

Other Words From

• self-fearing adjective
• un·fearing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fear¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English fere, Old English fær “sudden attack or danger”; cognate with Old Saxon fār “ambush,” Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr “danger,” Old Norse fār “disaster”

Word History and Origins

Origin of fear¹

Old English fǣr ; related to Old High German fāra , Old Norse fār hostility, Latin perīculum danger

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. for fear of / that, in order to prevent or avoid the risk of:

   She is afraid to say anything for fear of the consequences.

2. put the fear of God in / into, to cause to be greatly afraid.

More idioms and phrases containing fear

see fools rush in where angels fear to tread ; for fear of ; never fear ; put the fear of god in .

Synonym Study

Fear, alarm, dread all imply a painful emotion experienced when one is confronted by threatening danger or evil. Alarm implies an agitation of the feelings caused by awakening to imminent danger; it names a feeling of fright or panic: He started up in alarm. Fear and dread usually refer more to a condition or state than to an event. Fear is often applied to an attitude toward something, which, when experienced, will cause the sensation of fright: fear of falling. Dread suggests anticipation of something, usually a particular event, which, when experienced, will be disagreeable rather than frightening: She lives in dread of losing her money. The same is often true of fear, when used in a negative statement: She has no fear of losing her money.

Example Sentences

Before anti-vaxxers, there were anti-fluoriders: a group who spread fear about the anti-tooth decay agent added to drinking water.

From The Daily Beast

The fear of violence should not determine what one does or does not say.

From The Daily Beast

Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.

From The Daily Beast

The choice between freedom and fear is not difficult when seen with perspective.

From The Daily Beast

The decision not to run the cartoons is motivated by nothing more than fear: either fear of offending or fear of retaliation.

From The Daily Beast

Truth is a torch, but one of enormous size; so that we slink past it in rather a blinking fashion for fear it should burn us.

From Project Gutenberg

To others the fierce desire for social justice obliterates all fear of a general catastrophe.

From Project Gutenberg

Her heart fluttered violently with fear as she saw that he stepped out after her, and walked by her side toward the house.

From Project Gutenberg

And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.

From Project Gutenberg

The water suggested the fear that he must be nearing the open sea, and he became supernaturally grave.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• anticipate
• avoid
• dread
• expect
• foresee
• shun
• suspect
• worry