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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
The phenomenon has raised fears of job loss in software careers, fueled by comments from tech CEOs who say AI is speeding up software development and making their teams more efficient. Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025 As if Minos inspired such hatred, such fear and disgust, that the feelings themselves boiled up from Daedalus’s heart and gushed out through the tap to cook the wicked king alive. Seamus Sullivan september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
None of the companies wanted to be identified directly, fearing that an admission of financial problems could hurt their business going forward. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025 Others struggle with integration into existing systems or fear losing the personal touch that defines boutique hospitality. Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fear
Noun
  • Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.
    Ashley J. DiMella, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The stress among the friend group about their costume theme is giving me more anxiety than a haunted hayride.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Shanen Wright, 48, a lifelong Charleston resident who lives near CAMC Memorial, said many in the city have little worry about flooding in the face of more immediate problems, like the opioid epidemic and the decline of manufacturing and mining.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Rising worries During the Milken Institute Asia Summit, other experts warned that retail inflows could distort pricing, erode returns and destabilize fund structures designed for long-term investments or patient capital.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Powell said a sharp cooldown of hiring over the summer had shifted the balance of risks toward greater concern over the labor market rather than inflation.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Made in Africa is a monthly column by Rolling Stone staff writer Mankaprr Conteh that celebrates and interrogates the lives, concerns, and innovations of cultural workers of the African diaspora from their vantage point.
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Nonetheless, Lloyd's production is handsomely realized, with striking silhouetttes courtesy of Jon Clark and unnerving sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, who add a low whirr of dread to the existential fable.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Jon Clark’s no-place-to-hide lighting unnervingly brightens Beckett’s shadowy world but without losing its sense of dread, allowing both light and dark at the end of this infinite tunnel.
    Frank Rizzo, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Though when that context is Newcastle’s longer-term top-flight form, then a general feeling of unease is becoming justified.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Despite a growing sense of unease, museum leaders across the country have largely remained silent.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There was still no panic when, in March 2023, CRH — the world’s biggest building materials supplier — chose to switch to New York.
    Ian King, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • But the real success lies in making hydration a daily habit, not a panic-buying response.
    Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • What happened next, according to first responders, Jasper's aunt Amber Rosen, churchgoers, hospital officials and family members of those impacted, is a blur of violence and terror with the pop-pop-pop of an assault weapon and thick black smoke from fire hanging in the air.
    Georgea Kovanis, Freep.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The suspect behind the deadly car and knife terror attack outside a synagogue in Manchester in the United Kingdom on Thursday has been identified by police as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fear. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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