fear

1 of 2

noun

ˈfir

Synonyms of fear next

: an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger

b(1)

: an instance of this emotion

(2)

: a state marked by this emotion

: anxious concern : solicitude

: profound reverence and awe especially toward God

: reason for alarm : danger

fear

2 of 2

verb

feared; fearing; fears

transitive verb

: to be afraid of : expect with alarm

fear the worst

: to have a reverential awe of

fear God

archaic : frighten

archaic : to feel fear in (oneself)

intransitive verb

: to be afraid or apprehensive

feared for their lives

feared to go out at night

fearer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for fear

fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger.

fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Example Sentences

Noun He was trembling with fear. unable to walk the streets without fear of being mugged They regarded their enemies with fear and hatred. I've been trying to overcome my fear of flying. The doctor's diagnosis confirmed our worst fears. The government is trying to allay fears of a recession. Employees expressed fears that the company would go out of business. He told us about all his hopes and fears. She has a morbid fear of cats. Verb He was a cruel king who was feared and hated by his subjects. There's no need to fear. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The unusually early start to the wildfire season in the northern nation has put federal and provincial officials on high alert and raised fears about fire-fighting resources being exhausted before the summer even officially begins. —

Laura Dhillon Kane, Fortune, 1 June 2023 Shame and stigma stop many pregnant people from seeking treatments, but a bigger deterrent is the crippling fear that their babies will be taken away by state welfare authorities. —

Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 31 May 2023 The Tony Awards, scheduled for June 11, were initially canceled over fears of picket lines. —

Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023 But whatever exasperation some had at the terms of the deal was outweighed by fear of the alternative: what a first-ever government default would do to the economy, and by extension, to Biden’s reelection chances along with their own hopes of retaking the House majority. —

Jim Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 Over time, advocates of the separation of church and state fear, long-standing protections for young atheists, people who belong to no religion, and religious minorities will be eroded—until, perhaps, these protections disappear altogether. —

Linda K. Wertheimer, The New Republic, 30 May 2023 When the alarm blares, some in the city are consumed by fear, imagining the worst-case scenarios that could unfold; displacement, being trapped under rubble, being killed. —

Samya Kullab, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2023 Those could be persuasive pitches to undecided independents on the issues that probably matter most to them or fundraising appeals to stronger supporters playing on their biggest fears if their candidate loses. —

Jim Saksa, Anchorage Daily News, 28 May 2023 Liau Chung-ren/Zuma Press HONG KONG—A Uyghur scholar disappeared after traveling to Hong Kong from Seoul this month, a human-rights group said, raising fears he may have been detained and sent to mainland China as part of Beijing’s campaign against the predominantly Muslim ethnic group. —

Austin Ramzy, WSJ, 27 May 2023

Verb

Almost immediately, perhaps fearing the prospect of a class-action lawsuit, Uber and DoorDash began sending the back pay to drivers. —

Brian Merchant, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023 Masterson was charged with three counts of rape by force or fear stemming from separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. —

Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 31 May 2023 But many fear the most likely compromises, which could be announced in the coming months, will put the speed and quality of the cleanup at risk. —

Ralph Vartabedian, New York Times, 31 May 2023 If wrong, Jocelyn feared punishment from the coaches. —

Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas News, 30 May 2023 The United States and the EU recently stepped up their efforts to negotiate an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, fearing instability as Russia's war rages in Ukraine. —

Zenel Zhinipotoku And Llazar Semini, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023 While the destructive winds of a hurricane are feared, hurricane storm surges can be even more deadly. —

George Petras, USA Today, 30 May 2023 The city is grappling with a demolition order issued with intent to protect the surrounding area, as well as protests from some people in the community who fear others could still be alive and trapped inside. —

Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 30 May 2023 But public interest advocates fear the rules don’t go far enough to protect workers. —

Amber Burton, Fortune, 30 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fer, going back to Old English fǣr, fēr "unexpected danger, peril," going back to Germanic *fēra- or *fēran- (whence also Old Saxon fār "lurking danger," Old High German fāra "ambush, danger," Old Norse fár "evil, mischief, plague"), perhaps going back to a lengthened-grade nominal derivative of a proposed Indo-European verbal base *per- "test, risk" — more at peril entry 1

Note: Attested in Gothic only in the presumed derivative ferja, translating Greek enkáthetos "one put in secretly, spy." Though the etymology proposed above is conventional in dictionaries, the original meaning of the Germanic etymon and its relation to a putative Indo-European *per- are uncertain. See note at peril entry 1. The meaning of the Middle and Modern English noun appears to be derivative of the verb (see fear entry 2) rather than a development of the Old English meaning.

Verb

Middle English feren "to frighten, be afraid of," going back to Old English fǣran, fēran "to take by surprise, frighten," weak verb derivative (as also Old Saxon fāron "to lurk in wait for, frighten," Old High German fārēn "to lurk in wait for, strive, devise ill against," Old Norse færa "to slight, taunt") of Germanic *fēra- or *fēran- — more at fear entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler

The first known use of fear was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century