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fear
1[ feer ]
noun
- 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: , , , , , , , , , ,
Antonyms: , , ,
- a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling:
an abnormal fear of heights.
Synonyms: , , , , ,
Antonyms: , , ,
- concern or anxiety; solicitude:
a fear for someone's safety.
- reverential awe, especially toward God:
the fear of God.
Synonyms: , , ,
- something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of:
Cancer is a common fear.
- 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)
- to regard with fear; be afraid of.
Synonyms: ,
- to have reverential awe of.
Synonyms: , ,
- to consider or anticipate (something unpleasant) with a feeling of dread or alarm:
It's about to snow again, I fear.
- Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself):
I fear me he will ne'er forgive us.
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.
Fear
2[ feer ]
noun
- a river in SE North Carolina. 202 miles (325 km) long.
- Cape, a cape at its mouth.
fear
/ ɪə /
noun
- a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, etc
- a cause of this feeling
- awe; reverence
fear of God
- concern; anxiety
- possibility; chance
there is no fear of that happening
- for fear of or for fear that or for fear lestto forestall or avoid
- no fearcertainly not
- put the fear of God intoto frighten
verb
- to be afraid (to do something) or of (a person or thing); dread
- tr to revere; respect
- 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
- intrfoll byfor to feel anxiety about something
- an archaic word for frighten
Derived Forms
- ˈڱ, adverb
- ˈڱԱ, noun
- ˈڱ, noun
- ˈڱ, adjective
Other Word Forms
- -ڱiԲ adjective
- ܲ·ڱiԲ adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of fear1
Word History and Origins
Origin of fear1
Idioms and Phrases
- for fear of / that, in order to prevent or avoid the risk of:
She is afraid to say anything for fear of the consequences.
- 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
Example Sentences
Leaders of sanctuary jurisdictions say their communities are safer because immigrants feel they can communicate with local police without fear of deportation.
But salon owners fear this may come too late to save their businesses.
Through a nine-hour mastectomy with reconstructive surgery that carved through fear and tissue.
Advocates fear that immigration detention is harming children’s mental health.
English Football League chairman Rick Parry has been an advocate for an independent regulator, but the Premier League fears it could impact on competitiveness and investment.
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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.
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