Meaning of fear in English

Table of contents

Verb
fear
Definitions
1. be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
Examples
- « I fear she might get aggressive »
Derived terms
- care
- concern
2. be afraid or scared of
Examples
- « be frightened of »
- « I fear the winters in Moscow »
- « We should not fear the Communists! »
Derived terms
3. be sorry
Examples
- « used to introduce an unpleasant statement »
- « I fear I won't make it to your wedding party »
4. be uneasy or apprehensive about
Examples
- « I fear the results of the final exams »
Derived terms
- care
- concern
5. regard with feelings of respect and reverence
Examples
- « consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of »
- « Fear God as your father »
- « We venerate genius »
Derived terms
Noun
fear
Etymology
Old English fǣr ‘calamity, danger’, fǣran ‘frighten’, also ‘revere’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gevaar and German Gefahr‘danger’
Definitions
1. an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
Antonyms
- fearlessness
- bravery
Derived terms
2. an anxious feeling
Examples
- « care had aged him »
- « they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction »
Derived terms
3. a profound emotion inspired by a deity
Examples
- « the fear of God »
Derived terms

Famous quotes

« Resistance is feasible even for those who are not heroes by nature, and it is an obligation, I believe, for those who fear the consequences and detest the reality of the attempt to impose American hegemony. »
Noam Chomsky
« I wish to be a martyr, and I don't fear death. »
Muqtada al Sadr
« The real and effectual discipline which is exercised over a workman is that of his customers. It is the fear of losing their employment which restrains his frauds and corrects his negligence. »
Adam Smith
« Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. »
Babe Ruth
« The wise person often shuns society for fear of being bored. »
Jean de la Bruyere