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

The episode tracks the gents' meet-cute when Scott stumbles into the juice shop where Kip works and the two soon spiral into a steamy relationship, one that Scott, fearful of being outed, keeps relegated to the privacy of his apartment. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 5 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

Many Latino consumers, both legal and undocumented, are fearful of venturing out in public to stores, restaurants and bars due to the immigration enforcement blitz, according to customer surveys, companies and market research. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025

Officials are especially fearful of the tragedy ballooning into a large corruption scandal, experts said. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 Nov. 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