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 byfor ).

    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. to forestall or avoid

  7. certainly not

  8. 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. 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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Other 51Թ Forms

  • self-fearing adjective
  • unfearing adjective
  • ˈڱ𲹰 adverb
  • ˈڱ𲹰Ա noun
  • ˈڱ𲹰 noun
  • ˈڱ𲹰 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 “ambush,” Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr “danger,” 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

Idioms
  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.

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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.

The law grants civil immunity to drivers who injure or kill someone while fleeing a protest blocking a roadway, but only if the driver claims they feared for their safety.

From

She said she feared that, if prices rose at the same rate in future, she would have to turn the heating off altogether, adding: "Then you get damp, so that's not the answer."

From

He said he has been following news and rumors of the raids online, and that the fear generated by them and the protests in response have been devastating for his company and other small businesses.

From

“Nobody knows what’s really happening. Nobody knows where the raids are happening, so people just post things and they create fear,” said Adnan Akram, the owner of I Heart Fashion in Santee Alley.

From

Sweeps by federal agents and the deployment of troops to Los Angeles, they say, have created a climate of fear ripe for exploitation.

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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