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fear

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verb

as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fear distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fear are alarm, dread, fright, panic, terror, and trepidation. While all these words 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

When might alarm be a better fit than fear?

The words alarm and fear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

In what contexts can dread take the place of fear?

The synonyms dread and fear are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

Where would fright be a reasonable alternative to fear?

While the synonyms fright and fear are close in meaning, fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

When can panic be used instead of fear?

The words panic and fear can be used in similar contexts, but panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

When is terror a more appropriate choice than fear?

In some situations, the words terror and fear are roughly equivalent. However, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

How are the words trepidation and dread related as synonyms of fear?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fear
Noun
How to take that power back with facts, not fear. Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 Or maybe passenger princess is fear. Gerrick Kennedy, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
Although those formulations are used by only a small percentage of the population, medical groups fear the move will erode trust even further and sow additional doubts about the flu vaccines overall. Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025 They are known as witches or evil shamans with the ability to shape-shift into animals or other people and are both feared and respected. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
  • That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
  • That sense of anxiety is present throughout the book, most vividly in a wide shot of a group of cheerleaders rehearsing in a gym.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Executives and industry watchers say the sector has fared better than expected, but there are now growing worries around the health of consumers and suppliers, CNBC’s Michael Wayland reports.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
  • As the days without their parents pass, their worries grow.
    Maria Santana, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In 2024, the European Union opted to not renew its approval for Sulfuryl Fluoride citing concerns over risks to human health and the environment.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Duan says this practice is increasingly prevalent within China’s CAE industry, partly to allay clients’ concerns about data security.
    Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • What a combination of dread and misery.
    Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Following psychic researchers in search of spirits in a New England house with a tragic past, The Haunting trades leering ghouls and jump scares for atmosphere and suggestion, cultivating a cloud of dread that hangs like a heavy blanket over audiences.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dekoda’s appeal will depend on how much users value real-time health insights over the unease of allowing AI into their most private space.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Adding to the unease, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned of rising credit risk during the earnings call, citing the recent bankruptcies of Tricolor Holdings, a subprime auto lender, and First Brands, an auto parts manufacturer.
    Benzinga, Freep.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The panic began when a pilot reportedly heard knocking on the cockpit door and was unable to contact his crew.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
  • None of the panic, none of the prophetism.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That mixture of terror and safety is the secret sauce for Mike Jubie, creator of the Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses in New York’s historic Hudson Valley.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
  • On the other, a vision of what life would be like without the terror group.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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