51Թ

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View synonyms for

fear

1

[ feer ]

noun

  1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , , , , ,

    Antonyms: , , ,

  2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling:

    an abnormal fear of heights.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

    Antonyms: , , ,

  3. concern or anxiety; solicitude:

    a fear for someone's safety.

  4. reverential awe, especially toward God:

    the fear of God.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  5. something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of:

    Cancer is a common fear.

  6. anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur:

    Having grown up during the Great Depression, he had a constant fear of running out of money.



verb (used with object)

  1. to regard with fear; be afraid of.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. to have reverential awe of.

    Synonyms: , ,

  3. to consider or anticipate (something unpleasant) with a feeling of dread or alarm:

    It's about to snow again, I fear.

  4. Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself):

    I fear me he will ne'er forgive us.

verb (used without object)

  1. to have fear; be afraid:

    I'll go with you, so do not fear!

  2. to feel apprehensive or uneasy (usually followed by for ):

    In this time of economic instability, I fear for my children's future.

Fear

2

[ feer ]

noun

  1. a river in SE North Carolina. 202 miles (325 km) long.
  2. Cape, a cape at its mouth.

fear

/ ɪə /

noun

  1. a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, etc
  2. a cause of this feeling
  3. awe; reverence

    fear of God

  4. concern; anxiety
  5. possibility; chance

    there is no fear of that happening

  6. for fear of or for fear that or for fear lest
    to forestall or avoid
  7. no fear
    certainly not
  8. put the fear of God into
    to frighten
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to be afraid (to do something) or of (a person or thing); dread
  2. tr to revere; respect
  3. tr; takes a clause as object to be sorry: used to lessen the effect of an unpleasant statement

    I fear that you have not won

  4. intrfoll byfor to feel anxiety about something
  5. an archaic word for frighten
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈڱ𲹰, adverb
  • ˈڱ𲹰Ա, noun
  • ˈڱ𲹰, noun
  • ˈڱ𲹰, adjective
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • -ڱ𲹰iԲ adjective
  • ܲ·ڱ𲹰iԲ adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of fear1

First recorded before 900; Middle English fere, Old English æ “sudden attack or danger”; cognate with Old Saxon “aܲ,” Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr “dԲ,” Old Norse “dٱ”
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of fear1

Old English ǣ ; related to Old High German a , Old Norse hostility, Latin īܱܳ danger
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. for fear of / that, in order to prevent or avoid the risk of:

    She is afraid to say anything for fear of the consequences.

  2. put the fear of God in / into, to cause to be greatly afraid.

More idioms and phrases containing fear

see fools rush in where angels fear to tread ; for fear of ; never fear ; put the fear of god in .
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Synonym Study

Fear, alarm, dread all imply a painful emotion experienced when one is confronted by threatening danger or evil. Alarm implies an agitation of the feelings caused by awakening to imminent danger; it names a feeling of fright or panic: He started up in alarm. Fear and dread usually refer more to a condition or state than to an event. Fear is often applied to an attitude toward something, which, when experienced, will cause the sensation of fright: fear of falling. Dread suggests anticipation of something, usually a particular event, which, when experienced, will be disagreeable rather than frightening: She lives in dread of losing her money. The same is often true of fear, when used in a negative statement: She has no fear of losing her money.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

With the stock market spiraling and fears of a recession growing, there was almost no question about where "Saturday Night Live" would focus its cold open.

From

He faces two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition without a certificate and attempt to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

From

The fast-paced nature of a short daytime set has its challenges, but drummer Dillon Lee shared they were able to overcome their fears through “exposure therapy.”

From

Everything about this strange arrangement has worked, every fear has been squelched, all awkwardness has disappeared, and the Lakers have been left with a happily productive father and a gratefully improving son.

From

There are fears of a global recession following President Trump's "Liberation Day", when he announced sweeping import taxes, sparking retaliatory action from countries including China and Canada.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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