fear
1 Americannoun
-
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
-
a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling.
an abnormal fear of heights.
- Antonyms:
- predilection, penchant, fondness, liking
-
concern or anxiety; solicitude.
a fear for someone's safety.
-
reverential awe, especially toward God.
the fear of God.
- Synonyms:
- veneration, reverence, respect, awe
-
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.
-
to have reverential awe of.
-
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 byfor ).
In this time of economic instability, I fear for my children's future.
idioms
-
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.
noun
-
a river in SE North Carolina. 202 miles (325 km) long.
-
Cape, a cape at its mouth.
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
-
to forestall or avoid
-
certainly not
-
to 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
-
to feel anxiety about something
-
an archaic word for frighten
Related Words
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.
Pop Culture
— 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.
Other Word Forms
- fearer noun
- fearless adjective
- fearlessly adverb
- fearlessness noun
- self-fearing adjective
- unfearing adjective
Etymology
Origin of fear
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”
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.
