fearful

adjective

fear·​ful ˈfir-fəl How to pronounce fearful (audio)
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 adverb
fearfulness noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for fearful

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fearful was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fearful. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

fearful

adjective
fear·​ful ˈfi(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce fearful (audio)
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 adverb
fearfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fearful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!