Definition Definition

fear - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'fear' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Fear [ n.]
- A variant of Fere, a mate, a companion.
- A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread.
- Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God's wrath; the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme Belng.
- Respectful reverence for men of authority or worth.
- That which causes, or which is the object of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger; dreadfulness.
- To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude.
- To have a reverential awe of; to solicitous to avoid the displeasure of.
- To be anxious or solicitous for.
- To suspect; to doubt.
- To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear.
2 . Fear [ v. i.]
- To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil.

Meaning of 'fear' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . fear [ n]
Meaning (1):
- an anxious feeling
Example in sentence:
  • care had aged him;
  • they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction
Meaning (2):
- a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
Example in sentence:
  • his respect for the law bordered on veneration;
  • the Chinese reverence for the dead;
  • the fear of God;
  • the French treat food with gentle reverence
3 . fear [ v]
Meaning (3):
- regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
Example in sentence:
  • Fear God as your father;
  • We venerate genius
Meaning (4):
- be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement
Example in sentence:
  • I fear I won't make it to your wedding party
Meaning (5):
- be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
Example in sentence:
  • I fear she might get aggressive
Meaning (6):
- be uneasy or apprehensive about
Example in sentence:
  • I fear the results of the final exams
Meaning (7):
- be afraid or scared of; be frightened of
Example in sentence:
  • I fear the winters in Moscow;
  • We should not fear the Communists!