fear
5 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
fears
plural
fears
Britannica Dictionary definition of FEAR
1
:
an unpleasant emotion caused by being aware of danger
:
a feeling of being afraid
[noncount]
-
He was trembling with fear.
-
an old story that still has the power to inspire fear [=to make people feel afraid]
-
unable to walk the streets without fear of being mugged
-
They regarded their enemies with fear and hatred/loathing.
-
I've been trying to overcome my fear of flying.
-
He won't say anything for fear of losing his job. [=because he is afraid of being fired]
-
She lived in fear of being caught. = She lived in fear that she would be caught. [=she was always afraid that she would be caught]
-
They lived in (constant) fear of air raids during the war.
-
an accident that struck fear into the hearts of [=frightened] skiers everywhere
[count]
-
The doctor's diagnosis confirmed our worst fears.
-
The government is trying to allay/alleviate/ease fears of a recession.
-
Employees expressed fears that the company would go out of business.
-
He told us about all his hopes and fears.
-
She has a morbid fear of cats.
◊ If you are in fear of your life or (US) in fear for your life, you are afraid of being killed.
-
She claimed that she shot the burglar because she was in fear for her life.
2
[noncount]
:
a feeling of respect and wonder for something very powerful
◊ To put the fear of God into someone is to frighten someone very badly.
-
The bad economic news has put the fear of God into investors.
no fear
British, informal
— used in speech to say that there is no reason to be afraid or worried
-
“Are you going to tell her the truth?” “No fear [=never fear, fear not], mate: she won't hear a thing from me!”
fear
is the most general word and suggests a continuing emotional state.
-
people living in fear of violent crimes
dread
suggests a strong feeling of not wanting to accept or deal with something bad or unpleasant.
-
the dread felt by people awaiting bad news
alarm
may suggest a strong emotion caused by an unexpected or immediate danger.
-
They view the worsening food shortage with alarm.
fright
suggests a feeling caused by something unexpected and often suggests a brief emotion.
-
The creaking door gave them a fright.
2
fear
/ˈfiɚ/
verb
fears;
feared;
fearing
2
fear
/ˈfiɚ/
verb
fears;
feared;
fearing
Britannica Dictionary definition of FEAR
1
[+ object]
:
to be afraid of (something or someone)
— sometimes followed by to + verb
-
She fears [=(more commonly) is afraid of] the water.
-
He was a cruel king who was feared and hated by his subjects.
-
“…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address (1933)
-
Many people feared to go out at night.
2
[+ object]
:
to expect or worry about (something bad or unpleasant)
-
His parents feared (that) he would drop out of school.
-
She went to her doctor, fearing (that) she might have cancer.
-
The questions weren't as difficult as he had feared (they might be).
-
When we heard there had been an accident, we feared the worst. [=we feared that the worst possible thing had happened]
◊ The formal phrase I fear is used when you are worried that something bad or unpleasant has happened or is true.
-
I fear that we're already too late.
-
These problems have no easy solution, I fear.
3
[no object]
:
to be afraid and worried
-
There's no need to fear.
-
Having problems with your computer? Never fear [=don't worry]—help is readily available.
-
Fear not [=don't be afraid]—I'll protect you.
4
[+ object]
:
to feel respect and wonder for something very powerful
fear for
[phrasal verb]
fear for (something or someone)
:
to feel concern for (something or someone)
:
to worry about (something or someone)
-
They feared for their lives [=they were afraid that they might be killed] as they felt the first trembles of the earthquake.
-
She feared for her husband's safety. [=she worried that her husband might not be safe]
