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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
Creative While the woman had spared her viewers any sight of the spiders nest, TikTok users were quick to share their thoughts and fears on what had happened. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 At the same time, don't let inflation fears derail your long-term strategy. Steve Hruby, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
This is the kind of reassurance a skeptical toddler needs to really enjoy Halloween, not fear it. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 10 Oct. 2025 Unlike destructive exotic species such as pythons and lionfish that are here to stay in South Florida, snakeheads haven’t been as bad as many folks feared. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
  • The nation’s third shutdown in 12 years has again raised anxiety levels among service members and their families as those in uniform are working without pay.
    Fortune, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
  • In the book, she's portrayed as someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on anxiety medication, both of which are used to discredit her and paint her as unwell.
    Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dreaming of worry-free cleaning?
    Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Washington — Persistent worries about the higher cost of living and few job opportunities pushed consumer sentiment down to its seventh-lowest level in October, on records going back to 1952.
    Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Brewers under pressure to create pressure For Dodgers officials, a primary concern in facing the Brewers revolved around Milwaukee’s speed.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
  • If squirrels are a concern, attach wire mesh over top of the container.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The idea of having to double-cleanse fills me with dread.
    Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Hints of unease momentarily heightened as the Spartans — deliberate and layered — went to work.
    Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Insurance executives told the FT that the industry lacks the capacity to handle the kind of systemic, large-scale losses AI models could trigger, reflecting the sector’s broader unease about underwriting the unprecedented risks posed by generative AI providers.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • On an evening that began with panic in USC’s backfield, the walk-on gave Riley reason to exhale amid the chaos.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The colorless liquid is now responsible for an ongoing health crisis that has triggered a nationwide panic affecting about 100 million people across six states in Brazil, according to health authorities.
    Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Or that the hamster her daughter kept begging, begging, begging Linda to get turns out to be a raging, biting terror?
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement An investigation led by the Guardian found in September that out of the 6,000 Palestinians from Gaza held by Israel since the Hamas terror attack two years ago, only one quarter were held on suspicion of militant links.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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