fear
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)fears
- an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)Synonyms: fearfulnessfrightOpposite braveryType of emotionKinds panic, horror, alarm, apprehension, frisson, timidity, hysteria, stage fright, intimidation, scare +1 moreParts cold sweatAttribute of afraid, unafraid
- an anxious feeling“care had aged him”“they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction”Synonyms: concerncareType of anxiety
- a feeling of profound respect for someone or something“the fear of God”“the Chinese reverence for the dead”“the French treat food with gentle reverence”“his respect for the law bordered on veneration”Synonyms: reverenceawevenerationType of emotion
Verb (5)fears, feared, fearing
- be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event“I fear she might get aggressive”More general worry
- be afraid or scared of; be frightened of“I fear the winters in Moscow”“We should not fear the Communists!”Synonyms: dreadMore general feel, experienceMore specific panic
- be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement“I fear I won't make it to your wedding party”More general regret
- be uneasy or apprehensive about“I fear the results of the final exams”More general know
- regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of“Fear God as your father”“We venerate genius”Synonyms: reverencereverevenerateMore general respect, esteemMore specific worship, enshrine
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun feeling of being afraid
- Spanish
- miedo
- French
- peur
- German
- Angst
- Italian
- paura
- Portuguese
- medo
- Turkish
- korku
- Russian
- страх strax
- Arabic
- خَوْف ḵawf
- Chinese
- 恐惧 kǒngjù
- Japanese
- 恐怖 kyōfu
36 more languages
- Dutch
- angst
- Polish
- strach
- Swedish
- rädsla
- Greek
- φόβος fóvos
- Korean
- 공포 gongpo
- Indonesian
- ketakutan
- Vietnamese
- nỗi sợ
- Hungarian
- félelem
- Portuguese (PT)
- medo
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 恐懼 kǒngjù
- Albanian
- frikë
- Breton
- aon
- Catalan
- por
- Corsican
- paura
- Czech
- strach
- Danish
- frygt
- Esperanto
- timo
- Estonian
- hirm
- Finnish
- pelko
- Georgian
- შიში šiši
- Hebrew
- פַּחַד pákhad
- Icelandic
- hræðsla
- Kurdish
- tirs
- Latvian
- bailes
- Lithuanian
- baimė
- Malagasy
- fahatahorana
- Norwegian
- frykt
- Romanian
- frică
- Scottish Gaelic
- eagal
- Serbo-Croatian
- strah
- Slovak
- strach
- Slovenian
- strah
- Swahili
- hofu
- Walloon
- peu
- Welsh
- ofn
- Yiddish
- מורא moyre
Verb feel fear about
- Spanish
- temer
- French
- craindre
- German
- fürchten
- Italian
- temere
- Portuguese
- temer
- Turkish
- korkmak
- Russian
- боя́ться bojátʹsja
- Arabic
- خَشِيَ ḵašiya
- Chinese
- 怕 pà
- Japanese
- 怖がる kowagaru
22 more languages
- Dutch
- vrezen
- Swedish
- frukta
- Greek
- φοβάμαι fovámai
- Korean
- 두려워하다 duryeowohada
- Indonesian
- takut
- Vietnamese
- sợ
- Hungarian
- fél
- Portuguese (PT)
- temer
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 怕 pà
- Catalan
- témer
- Corsican
- teme
- Danish
- frygte
- Esperanto
- timi
- Estonian
- kartma
- Finnish
- pelätä
- Georgian
- ეშინია ešinia
- Hebrew
- פָּחַד pakhád
- Icelandic
- óttast
- Latvian
- baidīties
- Lithuanian
- bijoti
- Norwegian
- frykte
- Romanian
- teme
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
A variant of Fere, a mate, a companion. obsolete Edmund Spenser
Origin: OE. fer, feer, fere, AS. fǣr a coming suddenly upon, fear, danger; akin to D. vaar, OHG. fāra danger, G. gefahr, Icel. fār harm, mischief, plague, and to E. fare, peril. See Fare.
1. A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread.
☞ The degrees of this passion, beginning with the most moderate, may be thus expressed, — apprehension, fear, dread, fright, terror.
Fear is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us.— John Locke
Where no hope is left, is left no fear.— John Milton
2. Scripture (a) Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God's wrath; the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme Being. (b) Respectful reverence for men of authority or worth.
I will put my fear in their hearts.— Jer. xxxii. 40.
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.— Ps. xxxiv. 11.
Render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due... fear to whom fear.— Rom. xiii. 7.
3. That which causes, or which is the object of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger; dreadfulness.
There were they in great fear, where no fear was.— Ps. liii. 5.
The fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise.— William Shakespeare
For fear, in apprehension lest. “For fear you ne'er see chain nor money more.” William Shakespeare
Origin: OE. feren, faeren, to frighten, to be afraid, AS. fǣran to terrify. See Fear, noun
1. To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude.
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.— Ps. xxiii. 4.
With subordinate clause. I greatly fear my money is not safe. William Shakespeare I almost fear to quit your hand. Douglas William Jerrold
2. To have a reverential awe of; to be solicitous to avoid the displeasure of.
Leave them to God above; him serve and fear.— John Milton
3. To be anxious or solicitous for; now replaced by fear for. rare
The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, therefore... I fear you.— William Shakespeare
4. To suspect; to doubt. obsolete
Ay what else, fear you not her courage?— William Shakespeare
5. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear. obsolete
Fear their people from doing evil.— Raphe Robynson
Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.— William Shakespeare
Synonyms: To apprehend; dread; reverence; venerate.
To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil.
I exceedingly fear and quake.— Heb. xii. 21.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54