fearful
Americanadjective
-
causing or apt to cause fear; frightening.
a fearful apparition.
-
feeling fear, dread, apprehension, or solicitude.
fearful for his life.
- Synonyms:
- worried, concerned, anxious, solicitous, distrustful, uneasy, apprehensive, timorous, timid, afraid
-
full of awe or reverence.
fearful of the Lord.
-
showing or caused by fear.
fearful behavior exhibited by dogs in the animal shelter.
-
extreme in size, intensity, or badness: fearful poverty.
a fearful head cold;
fearful poverty.
adjective
-
having fear; afraid
-
causing fear; frightening
-
informal very unpleasant or annoying
a fearful cold
Other Word Forms
- fearfully adverb
- fearfulness noun
- unfearful adjective
Etymology
Origin of fearful
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ferful(l); fear, -ful
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The victims, two male flight attendants, testified that Woodbury’s actions left them fearful for their safety and disrupted their ability to do their jobs during a cross-country flight in April 2025, according to prosecutors.
From Los Angeles Times
Like him, many neighbors and family members were fearful of what will come next, said Monsalve.
From Barron's
Long lines formed at supermarkets and pharmacies as shoppers, fearful of uncertainty, stocked up on essentials.
From Los Angeles Times
The pressure is so great that some superstitious students avoid washing their hair or trimming their nails as the single exam day every November approaches—fearful knowledge might slip away.
Emotional control — remaining rational when others are euphoric or fearful — is Buffett’s sharpest edge.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
