FEARFUL Synonyms: 243 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'fearful' different from other adjectives like it?

The words afraid and apprehensive are common synonyms of fearful . While all three words mean "disturbed by fear," fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament. // the child is fearful of loud noises

Q: When can 'afraid' be used instead of 'fearful'?

While the synonyms afraid and fearful are close in meaning, afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance. // afraid to speak the truth

Q: When is it sensible to use 'apprehensive' instead of 'fearful'?

The synonyms apprehensive and fearful are sometimes interchangeable, but apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger. // apprehensive of being found out

fearful

adjective

ˈfir-fəl

Definition of fearful

as in terrifying

causing fear the fearful roar of a lion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in timid

easily frightened the stray cat that we took in is still fearful, even around us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fearful different from other adjectives like it?

The words afraid and apprehensive are common synonyms of fearful. While all three words mean "disturbed by fear," fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament.

the child is fearful of loud noises

When can afraid be used instead of fearful?

While the synonyms afraid and fearful are close in meaning, afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance.

afraid to speak the truth

When is it sensible to use apprehensive instead of fearful?

The synonyms apprehensive and fearful are sometimes interchangeable, but apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger.

apprehensive of being found out

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 fearful Seymour’s game really began to unravel at the top of the week, when Devens and Murray initially concocted a plan to send him packing after being fearful of his ability to bring the other side of the house together. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 24 July 2026 Worries about supplies intensified as countries restricted exports this year, fearful of running low on fuel. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 23 July 2026 Team members can feel disconnected and fearful that the new boss will damage their existing culture and maybe even eliminate their roles, as with outsourcing to AI. — Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 The facing page depicts a mother, fearful, sneaking away to protect her new child. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fearful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearful

Adjective

Pinnock, in particular, is at his best here, showcasing a diabolical cruelty and terrifying manipulation, elevating the story and the show to a different level.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 July 2026
Here's a selection of spectacular photos of the July Buck Moon 2026 captured alongside gorgeous natural landscapes, terrifying wildfires and stunning cityscapes from around the world.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of terrifying

Adjective

Football is a physical sport, one where an athlete can’t play scared, timid, being cautious, and needs to give his all on every snap.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
Min-ji now understands more about her father’s past and motivations, and no longer sees him as a timid man who would rather bow than fight.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 27 July 2026

Definition of timid

Adjective

An unusually intense El Niño event is gathering strength in the tropical Pacific in a hurry.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Thousands of Offers Nazareth University, located near Rochester, New York, is using direct admissions in part to reach those outside of the state where competition for students is particularly intense.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of intense

Adjective

And many of them weren’t afraid to make that known on social media.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The logic is that if colleges are afraid to sign a player out of fear of retaliation, the player won’t receive the benefits of Judge Sweeney’s order granting the injunction.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of afraid

Adjective

Rob remembers the first two days in the hospital as frightening and uncertain.

— Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Chris Hemsworth's latest family vacation took a frightening turn when the actor found himself aboard a small plane caught in the middle of a lightning storm.

— Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of frightening

Adjective

The Warrior-Scholar Project is a STEM intensive founded in 2012 at Yale and has served nearly 3,000 veterans, challenging them with up to 75 hours of academic work.

— Francesca Pinney, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
The company believes those products could support several parts of the defense manufacturing chain, particularly facilities involved in shipbuilding, advanced materials production and energy-intensive industrial operations.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026

Definition of intensive

Adjective

Perreault-Magny said frightened and flustered migrants sometimes try to climb into his unmarked patrol pickup, mistaking it for a smuggler coming to collect them.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Meanwhile, the people standing beside the robot look frightened.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of frightened

Adjective

The tragic story of a 17-year-old from Tangier is representative of the plight of many of the more than 800 minors who four days after the collective push by migrants into Ceuta face a scary present and an uncertain future.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
While drooling during sleep can conjure scary thoughts of a health problem, experts say the habit is nothing to worry about — though there are still certain signs to watch for.

— Gavin Escott, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of scary

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“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearful. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of fearful

adjective

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