fear

noun

\ ˈfir

Definition of fear

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger

b(1) : an instance of this emotion

(2) : a state marked by this emotion

2 : anxious concern : solicitude

3 : profound reverence and awe especially toward God

4 : reason for alarm : danger

fear

verb

feared; fearing; fears

Definition of fear (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to be afraid of : expect with alarm fear the worst

2 : to have a reverential awe of fear God

3 archaic : frighten

4 archaic : to feel fear in (oneself)

intransitive verb

: to be afraid or apprehensive feared for their lives feared to go out at night

Other Words from fear Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about fear

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for fear

Noun

fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger. fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage. fear of the unknown dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety. faced the meeting with dread fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear. fright at being awakened suddenly alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger. view the situation with alarm panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity. the news caused widespread panic terror implies the most extreme degree of fear. immobilized with terror trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation. raised the subject with trepidation

Examples of fear in a Sentence

Noun

He was trembling with fear. unable to walk the streets without fear of being mugged They regarded their enemies with fear and hatred. I've been trying to overcome my fear of flying. The doctor's diagnosis confirmed our worst fears. The government is trying to allay fears of a recession. Employees expressed fears that the company would go out of business. He told us about all his hopes and fears. She has a morbid fear of cats.

Verb

He was a cruel king who was feared and hated by his subjects. There's no need to fear.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Make sure to communicate beforehand about both of your desires, expectations, and fears. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "A Guide to Pegging Your Partner With a Strap On," 8 May 2019 There can be a lot of stigma and fear surrounding unplanned pregnancy, and no one wants to face judgment from their local pharmacist or their friend's mom that sneakily watched them pick up a test. — Brittney Mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "How to Take a Pregnancy Test," 3 May 2019 Women deserve better—no fear mongering, just facts. — Caroline Catlin, Glamour, "I Wasn't Ready To Think About My Fertility—Then I Got Brain Cancer," 26 Apr. 2019 Jim Cantrell, of the small sat launch company Vector, signaled his support with a dash of fear over the wildlife: The Alcantara spaceport was once a source of national pride for Brazil. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Can the U.S. Save Alcantara, Brazil’s Cursed Spaceport?," 20 Mar. 2019 But the threat of Amazon’s possible expansion into the region is a potent fear. — Ezequiel Minaya, WSJ, "Argentinian Company Wants to Build the Amazon of Latin America," 19 Mar. 2019 Before seeking help, many people with BDD avoid getting diagnosed out of fear and shame. — Stephanie Dubick, SELF, "How to Show Up for Someone You Love With Body Dysmorphic Disorder," 16 Apr. 2019 The gain marks a turnaround from a severe contraction in February and helped put investor fears over a global economic slowdown in check. — Alex Veiga, The Seattle Times, "S&P 500 notches 3rd straight weekly gain as US stocks rally," 14 Apr. 2019 The resulting image, with its curved lines and many labels, evoked a map, the collection of fractured desires and fears. — Ian Malone, Vogue, "The Public Art Fund Hosts a Fine Art Game Night," 12 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France is a monument recognized around the world, and home to many priceless historical Christian artifacts—many of which people feared wouldn't make it through the devastating fire on April 15. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Here Are All Of The Precious Artifacts Saved From the Notre Dame Fire," 17 Apr. 2019 Even in the 19th century, Verne feared the extinction of numerous species of marine life. — David Keyton, The Seattle Times, "Off the Seychelles, a dive into a never-seen landscape," 13 Apr. 2019 But Adelaide’s worst fears become reality that night. — Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "Us Offers a Terrifying Vision of Judgement Day," 26 Mar. 2019 Later in December 2018, Grinnell’s union organizers withdrew their expansion request because organizers feared that the rejection of their request would harm other college unions’ organizing efforts. — Kim Kelly, Teen Vogue, "Education Workers on Campuses Around the Country Are Demanding Better Labor Conditions," 10 Jan. 2019 Many Congolese, however, fear that the elections will be rigged and Shadary will win no matter what. — German Lopez, Vox, "Vox Sentences: A shutdown for Christmas," 22 Dec. 2018 After years of fearing carbs, Silicon Valley is in love with bread — and, of course, tech bros are disrupting the 6,000-year-old craft of making dough. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Black Friday is the busiest time of year for professional line sitters," 21 Nov. 2018 Idle time and solitude are to be sought, not feared. — Jim Michaels, WSJ, "When It Comes to Retirement, I’m With Cicero," 11 Jan. 2019 Americans justifiably fear that robots are going to take our jobs. — Joe Queenan, WSJ, "Robots Will End Up Goofing Off Like the Rest of Us," 14 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for fear

Noun

Middle English fer, going back to Old English fǣr, fēr "unexpected danger, peril," going back to Germanic *fēra- or *fēran- (whence also Old Saxon fār "lurking danger," Old High German fāra "ambush, danger," Old Norse fár "evil, mischief, plague"), perhaps going back to a lengthened-grade nominal derivative of a proposed Indo-European verbal base *per- "test, risk" — more at peril entry 1

Note: Attested in Gothic only in the presumed derivative ferja, translating Greek enkáthetos "one put in secretly, spy." Though the etymology proposed above is conventional in dictionaries, the original meaning of the Germanic etymon and its relation to a putative Indo-European *per- are uncertain. See note at peril entry 1. The meaning of the Middle and Modern English noun appears to be derivative of the verb (see fear entry 2) rather than a development of the Old English meaning.

Verb

Middle English feren "to frighten, be afraid of," going back to Old English fǣran, fēran "to take by surprise, frighten," weak verb derivative (as also Old Saxon fāron "to lurk in wait for, frighten," Old High German fārēn "to lurk in wait for, strive, devise ill against," Old Norse færa "to slight, taunt") of Germanic *fēra- or *fēran- — more at fear entry 1