1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the fearful roar of a lion
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2
as in timid
easily frightened
the stray cat that we took in is still fearful, even around us
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3
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the fearful wind and cold simply made being outside a miserable experience
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4
as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
fearful of venturing out onto the dark highway, the stranded motorist decided to wait in the car for help
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fearful
Ragan had gone out onto the field to see what the commotion was, but grew fearful for his life after an unprovoked attack by Booker, Welsh said.
—
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 26 Aug. 2025
This detail rings true, according to the 2016 Netflix documentary Amanda Knox, Knox assumed that one of her roommates had cut themselves shaving, but felt fearful upon seeing the human waste.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Reservists and discharged soldiers are fearful of being arrested abroad after posting on social media about their military service in Gaza.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2025
Americans rushed to buy cars in March, fearful costs would skyrocket.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 26 Aug. 2025
This detail rings true, according to the 2016 Netflix documentary Amanda Knox, Knox assumed that one of her roommates had cut themselves shaving, but felt fearful upon seeing the human waste.
—Nicole Briese, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Reservists and discharged soldiers are fearful of being arrested abroad after posting on social media about their military service in Gaza.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2025
Americans rushed to buy cars in March, fearful costs would skyrocket.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearful
Adjective
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Philip Bunting’s new picture book uses this tall tale as a starting point for a funny and sweet story about a misunderstood dropbear and a little bird who’s determined to discover if the rumors about Dropbear’s terrifying behavior are true.—
Caroline Carlson
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
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Set largely inside the White House, the film imagines the terrifying scenario of an imminent nuclear missile strike on the United States by an unknown adversary, forcing military and civilian leaders to make impossible decisions under crushing time pressure.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In it, Luna is seen gently approaching a very timid Ronnie, who is facing away, staring toward the couch.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
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Arguably, Sweeney — who is almost unrecognizable as the timid and brunette Margaret — steals the show.—
Itzel Luna,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Some students and civil libertarians say that widespread surveillance has gone too far, especially in places like Ann Arbor, where protests against the Gaza War have drawn intense police interactions.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Any effort to raise the voter threshold this year will face intense pushback from Democrats, who are likely to filibuster the proposal in the state Senate.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Still, other doctors lauded the results and the potential of the pill to reach new patients, such as those who are afraid of needles.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
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This is what Galpin was afraid would happen to Tyler.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Thunderstorms and lightning, very very frightening.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Since the release of 2013's The Conjuring, the frightening franchise has generally lost steam at the box office.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Building a new company is scary and comes with high risks, but these organizations are proving that success is always possible, and age is just a number.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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And production budgets are usually modest, making for some scary-good profit margins.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Richard Wrangham’s research shows how cooking allowed humans to access more calories, enabling the expansion of energy-intensive activities like building and creating.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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The goal of the vaccine is to keep people out of the hospital, keep them out of the intensive-care unit, keep them out of the morgue.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Social media quickly filled with images of frightened students scrambling to safety.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Inside was a frightened white cat.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearful. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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