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

After speaking with the attorney’s office, Hay got cold feet, fearful of standing up against a figure as powerful as Combs. —Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025

Irm is an anxious, self-conscious, fearful woman, and Geisler-Bading gives the film’s most subtly wrenching performance; her character seems permanently out of synch with the world, unable to look past her own unhappiness. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025

There is an irony, then, that production designers like Davies are fearful of being replaced by machines. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2025

After this research was first published in 2002, the use of hormone therapy fell by 46% within six months – both because clinicians were reluctant to prescribe it and patients were fearful of taking it. —Genevieve Hofmann, The Conversation, 18 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