feared
[ feerd ]
/ fɪərd /
adjective Dialect.
afraid; afeard.
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RELATED WORDS
Origin of feared
aphetic form of afeard
Related forms
un·feared, adjectiveDefinition for feared (2 of 2)
fear
[ feer ]
/ fɪər /
noun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
to have fear; be afraid: I'll go with you, so do not fear!
to feel apprehensive or uneasy (usually followed by for): In this time of economic instability, I fear for my children's future.
Origin of fear
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
Related forms
self-fear·ing, adjectiveun·fear·ing, adjectiveRelated Quotations
- "Fear obscures reason, intensifies emotions and makes it easier for demagogic politicians to mobilize the public on behalf of the policies they want to pursue."-Zbigniew Brzezinski Terrorized by ‘War on Terror’: How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America The Washington Post (March 25, 2007)
- "What we, following the Scriptures, call the fear of God, is not terror or dread, but an awe that holds God in reverence."-Martin Luther by Wilhelm Herrmann, transl. by J. Sandys Stanyon, revised by R. W. Stewart The communion of the Christian with God: Described on the basis of Luther's statements (1906)
- "I have a huge need for financial security; the immigrant in me has a fear of ending up homeless and in the gutter."-Ruth Behar Translated Woman: Crossing the Border with Esperanza's Story (2003)
- "To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead."-Bertrand Russell Marriage and Morals (1929)
- "I fear we are all in your black books."-Anthony Trollope The Three Clerks (1858)
- "[T]here may be dark abysses before which intelligence must be silent, for fear of going mad."-George Santayana compiled by Martin A. Coleman The Essential Santayana: Selected Writings (2009)
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.
Popular references
— Fear and Trembling: A philosophical exploration of faith and ethics by Sören Kierkegaard. Published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio.
— Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream: A roman à clef by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, illustrated by Ralph Steadman. First printed in 1971 as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine, and as a novel in 1972.
— Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A film adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson book, directed by Terry Gilliam. Released in 1998.
— The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things: 1999 book by sociologist Barry Glassner, examining why Americans' fears are misplaced and exaggerated. Revised and updated in 2010.
— Fear Factor: An American reality game show (2001–2006) in which contestants had to complete a series of dangerous, disgusting, or otherwise fear-inducing stunts.
—No FEAR Act: The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–174). The act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002, increases Federal agency accountability for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for feared
British Dictionary definitions for feared
fear
/ (fɪə) /
noun
verb
Derived Forms
fearer, nounfearless, adjectivefearlessly, adverbfearlessness, nounWord Origin for fear
Old English fǣr; related to Old High German fāra, Old Norse fār hostility, Latin perīculum danger
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medicine definitions for feared
fear
[ fîr ]
n.
A feeling of agitation and dread caused by the presence or imminence of danger.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Idioms and Phrases with feared
fear
see fools rush in where angels fear to tread; for fear of; never fear; put the fear of god in.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.