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 his 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

• 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

Limburg said the program is designed to reach people who have not been screened because of lack of medical access or transportation barriers − as well as those who are anxious or fearful over getting a colonoscopy. —Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025

Traders, fearful of missing out on the rally, are piling into equities in a way reminiscent of the 1990s, when a feeding frenzy on early internet companies inflated the market right before the bursting of the dot-com bubble. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025

Hollywood these days feels really fearful of enflaming conservative ire. —David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025

As one of us found in a project involving more than 300 board directors, not only are AI pilots not sure to deliver, but employees, fearful of AI, don’t take advantage of its potential, and AI projects don’t address the way organizations work and add value. —Harvard Business Review, 7 Oct. 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