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
To her, the full-scale invasion in 2022 and last year’s drone attack are more fearful than radiation.
—
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
When Kennedy spreads fear, parents become fearful and often refuse vaccines, and herd immunity begins to crack.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Her Catherine is less defined by the quirky, appealing eccentricities of Mary-Louise Parker’s performance in the original 2000 Broadway staging, but is girded by a certain angry resignation, fearful of what life might have in store, furious too, yet seething with a will to defy it all.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
People with a fearful avoidant attachment style (answer C) experience a mix of the trappings of anxious and avoidant attachments, Levine said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearful
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
When Kennedy spreads fear, parents become fearful and often refuse vaccines, and herd immunity begins to crack.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Her Catherine is less defined by the quirky, appealing eccentricities of Mary-Louise Parker’s performance in the original 2000 Broadway staging, but is girded by a certain angry resignation, fearful of what life might have in store, furious too, yet seething with a will to defy it all.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
People with a fearful avoidant attachment style (answer C) experience a mix of the trappings of anxious and avoidant attachments, Levine said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearful
Adjective
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For most people, the idea of ceding control to a robot is out there at best; downright terrifying at worst.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
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One of those terrifying moments happened on a public stairwell.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?—
Aditya Simha,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Later, the Moon squares Mars in Aries, which can make the moment feel more intense.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
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Keep in mind that Pluto retrogrades happen every year for approximately half the year, but this particular cycle will be especially raw and intense, both at a personal and global level.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Umpires, afraid of being overturned, or at least, more aware of the new zone and its limitations, have been calling fewer strikes.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Almost half are personally afraid of losing their job to AI, ranking it among the most acute individual stressors measured in the survey.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Late on against Newcastle, Rutter beat two players on the left with a frightening burst of pace and set up Minteh, only for the 21-year-old to blast over an empty net.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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Dash camera video showed the frightening moment when a wheel from a United Airlines plane slammed into a bakery delivery truck that was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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There is no specific treatment for hantavirus, but intensive ICU care — including ECMO, which oxygenates blood outside the body — can help patients in severe respiratory distress.—
Eva Flowe
May 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
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The biggest increases will be to inexpensive, perishable goods such as potatoes and onions, as well as fertilizer-intensive goods such as tomatoes.—
Wes Zebrowski,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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The woman who found Nado said the feline appeared frightened but was in overall good health, according to the news outlet.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
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Those children hadn’t seemed frightened to me, not visibly anyway.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Just because there’s something scary down the hall, that doesn’t mean that being a good person doesn’t matter.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
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Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearful. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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