English Dictionary |
FEAR
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
IPA (US): |
Dictionary entry overview: What does fear mean?
• FEAR (noun)
The noun FEAR has 3 senses:
1. an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
3. a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
Familiarity information: FEAR used as a noun is uncommon.
• FEAR (verb)
The verb FEAR has 5 senses:
1. be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
2. be afraid or scared of; be frightened of
3. be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement
4. be uneasy or apprehensive about
5. regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
Familiarity information: FEAR used as a verb is common.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
An emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
fear; fearfulness; fright
Hypernyms ("fear" is a kind of...):
emotion (any strong feeling)
Meronyms (parts of "fear"):
cold sweat (the physical condition of concurrent perspiration and chill; associated with fear)
Attribute:
afraid (filled with fear or apprehension)
fearless; unafraid (oblivious of dangers or perils or calmly resolute in facing them)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fear"):
alarm; consternation; dismay (fear resulting from the awareness of danger)
creeps (a feeling of fear and revulsion)
chill; frisson; quiver; shiver; shudder; thrill; tingle (an almost pleasurable sensation of fright)
horror (intense and profound fear)
hysteria (excessive or uncontrollable fear)
affright; panic; terror (an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety)
panic attack; scare (a sudden attack of fear)
stage fright (fear that affects a person about to face an audience)
apprehension; apprehensiveness; dread (fearful expectation or anticipation)
timidity; timidness; timorousness (fear of the unknown or unfamiliar or fear of making decisions)
intimidation (the feeling of being intimidated; being made to feel afraid or timid)
Antonym:
fearlessness (feeling no fear)
Derivation:
fear (be afraid or scared of; be frightened of)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An anxious feeling
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
Context example:
they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction
Hypernyms ("fear" is a kind of...):
anxiety (a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune)
Derivation:
fear (be uneasy or apprehensive about)
fear (be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A feeling of profound respect for someone or something
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
awe; fear; reverence; veneration
Context example:
his respect for the law bordered on veneration
Hypernyms ("fear" is a kind of...):
emotion (any strong feeling)
Derivation:
fear (regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of)
Conjugation: |
Past simple: feared
Past participle: feared
-ing form: fearing
Sense 1
Meaning:
Be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Context example:
I fear she might get aggressive
Hypernyms (to "fear" is one way to...):
worry (be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Sentence example:
They fear that there was a traffic accident
Derivation:
fear (an anxious feeling)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Be afraid or scared of; be frightened of
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
dread; fear
Context example:
We should not fear the Communists!
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fear"):
panic (be overcome by a sudden fear)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Sentence example:
Sam cannot fear Sue
Derivation:
fear (an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight))
Sense 3
Meaning:
Be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Context example:
I fear I won't make it to your wedding party
Hypernyms (to "fear" is one way to...):
regret (express with regret)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Sense 4
Meaning:
Be uneasy or apprehensive about
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Context example:
I fear the results of the final exams
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Derivation:
fear (an anxious feeling)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
fear; revere; reverence; venerate
Context example:
We venerate genius
Hypernyms (to "fear" is one way to...):
esteem; prise; prize; respect; value (regard highly; think much of)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fear"):
worship (show devotion to (a deity))
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Derivation:
fear (a feeling of profound respect for someone or something)
Context examples
It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
“If that is her trap, she must be making for the earlier train. I fear, Watson, that she will be past Charlington before we can possibly meet her.”
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
He, too, growled, savagely, terribly, voicing the fear that is to life germane and that lies twisted about life's deepest roots.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
I was in fear that a struggle might take place, but a cry from the helmsman made it easy for the situation to save itself.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
I feared that you would find it beyond you.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
The fire of him was no longer warm, and the fear of him was no longer poignant.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
I made a shift to keep the key in a pocket of my own, fearing Glumdalclitch might lose it.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
Regarding your reputation and work life, you may hear something that underscores how well your career is coming along, despite your fears that you had done everything wrong over the past two years.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
I feared that some difference between him and his mother might have led to his being in the frame of mind in which I had found him at the solitary fireside.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
Buck wondered where they went, for they never came back; but the fear of the future was strong upon him, and he was glad each time when he was not selected.
(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)
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