a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling.
an abnormal fear of heights.
concern or anxiety; solicitude.
a fear for someone's safety.
reverential awe, especially toward God.
the fear of God.
something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of.
Cancer is a common fear.
anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur.
Having grown up during the Great Depression, he had a constant fear of running out of money.
to regard with fear; be afraid of.
to have reverential awe of.
to consider or anticipate (something unpleasant) with a feeling of dread or alarm.
It's about to snow again, I fear.
Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself).
I fear me he will ne'er forgive us.
to have fear; be afraid.
I'll go with you, so do not fear!
to feel apprehensive or uneasy (usually followed byfor ).
In this time of economic instability, I fear for my children's future.
for fear of / that, in order to prevent or avoid the risk of.
She is afraid to say anything for fear of the consequences.
put the fear of God in / into, to cause to be greatly afraid.
a river in SE North Carolina. 202 miles (325 km) long.
Cape, a cape at its mouth.
a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, etc
a cause of this feeling
awe; reverence
fear of God
concern; anxiety
possibility; chance
there is no fear of that happening
to forestall or avoid
certainly not
to frighten
to be afraid (to do something) or of (a person or thing); dread
(tr) to revere; respect
(tr; takes a clause as object) to be sorry: used to lessen the effect of an unpleasant statement
I fear that you have not won
to feel anxiety about something
an archaic word for frighten
Fear, alarm, dread all imply a painful emotion experienced when one is confronted by threatening danger or evil. Alarm implies an agitation of the feelings caused by awakening to imminent danger; it names a feeling of fright or panic: He started up in alarm. Fear and dread usually refer more to a condition or state than to an event. Fear is often applied to an attitude toward something, which, when experienced, will cause the sensation of fright: fear of falling. Dread suggests anticipation of something, usually a particular event, which, when experienced, will be disagreeable rather than frightening: She lives in dread of losing her money. The same is often true of fear, when used in a negative statement: She has no fear of losing her money.
— Fear and Trembling: A philosophical exploration of faith and ethics by Sören Kierkegaard. Published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio. — Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream: A roman à clef by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, illustrated by Ralph Steadman. First printed in 1971 as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine, and as a novel in 1972. — Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A film adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson book, directed by Terry Gilliam. Released in 1998. — The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things: 1999 book by sociologist Barry Glassner, examining why Americans' fears are misplaced and exaggerated. Revised and updated in 2010. — Fear Factor: An American reality game show (2001–2006) in which contestants had to complete a series of dangerous, disgusting, or otherwise fear-inducing stunts. —No FEAR Act: The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–174). The act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002, increases Federal agency accountability for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees.
First recorded before 900; Middle English fere, Old English fær “sudden attack or danger”; cognate with Old Saxon fār “ambush,” Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr “danger,” Old Norse fār “disaster”
Does the sight of a snake fill you with panic and the desire to run away as quickly as possible? If so, you have a fear of snakes. People have fear for many things: bugs, guns, heights, etc. Horror movies try to fill the audience with fear. Some fears make more sense than others. The fear of jumping out of planes makes a lot of sense, but the fear of public speaking isn't as logical: it won't kill you. Fear includes anxiety and can be very emotionally painful. If you're scared of anything, you know what fear is all about.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When I was a young, scared little Midwestern gay boy in the closet, it struck fear into my heart.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
"There's so much fear, even people who have US residency cards are afraid to go. People who have just received their citizenship are afraid to go," she added.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
But bodegas also sell milk and bread, and they fear they will be driven out of business by government discounts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
ChatGPT called it "abandoned in fear and restraint".
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Young as I was, I knew that fear is never funny.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
