fearful

adjective

fear·​ful ˈfir-fəl 

1

: causing or likely to cause fear, fright, or alarm especially because of dangerous quality

a fearful storm

2

a

: full of fear

fearful for their safety

b

: indicating or arising from fear

a fearful glance

c

: inclined to fear : timorous

3

: very great or bad

—used as an intensive

a fearful waste

fearful slum conditions

fearfully

ˈfir-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

fearfulness

ˈfir-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of fearful

• terrifying
• frightening
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating
• dread

Choose the Right Synonym for fearful

fearful, apprehensive, afraid mean disturbed by fear.

fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament.

the child is fearful of loud noises

apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger.

apprehensive of being found out

afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance.

afraid to speak the truth

Examples of fearful in a Sentence

He plays the role of a timid and fearful clerk.

They won the war but at a fearful cost.

Recent Examples on the Web

Shadow vessels could be hard to track; interceptions risk oil spills or violations of international law; and political leaders are always fearful that attempts to squeeze an adversary’s oil revenue can backfire by raising energy prices at home. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Dec. 2025

At the time, Powell said that the FOMC was about evenly divided on who supported a December rate cut given the sluggishness of the economy, and those who were too fearful of stoking inflation higher given the uncertainty of how trade policy would develop. —Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025

So in some ways, Sinatra might be a little dependent on her, but in some ways, she's also probably got to be a little fearful of her. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Dec. 2025

While Natalie is fearful of his mental state, police do not have evidence that proves James is in immediate danger, according to the outlet. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English feerful, fereful "inspiring dread, frightened," from fer fear entry 1 + -ful -ful entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fearful

• cheerful
• tearful

Kids Definition

fearful

adjective

fear·​ful ˈfi(ə)r-fəl 

1

: causing fear

the fearful roar of a lion

2

: filled with fear

fearful of danger

3

: showing or caused by fear

a fearful glance

4

: extremely bad, large, or intense

fearful cold

fearfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

fearfulness noun