fear
noun
\
Definition of fear
(Entry 1 of 2)
fear
verbDefinition of fear (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for fear
Synonyms: Noun
alarm (also alarum), anxiety, dread, fearfulness, fright, horror, panic, scare, terror, trepidation
Synonyms: Verb
bother, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, trouble, worry
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of fear in a Sentence
Noun
He was trembling with fear. unable to walk the streets without fear of being mugged They regarded their enemies with fear and hatred. I've been trying to overcome my fear of flying. The doctor's diagnosis confirmed our worst fears. The government is trying to allay 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.Verb
He was a cruel king who was feared and hated by his subjects. There's no need to fear.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The combination of dehydration, hunger, exhaustion, and her fear of the dark causes Trisha to hallucinate. — Christian Holub, EW.com, "Another Stephen King novel is getting made into a movie," 21 Aug. 2019 Bannon was born without arms and became a viral phenomenon thanks to a workout video that showed him overcoming the odds — and his fears — to jump onto a box. — Phil Thompson, chicagotribune.com, "Meet the suburban teen born without arms who will be competing in this weekend’s Chicago Triathlon," 21 Aug. 2019 The theory worries many—their main fear being inflation—but Kelton has made the fringe proposal more mainstream than ever. — Fortune, "How Women’s Educational Gains Are Changing the Working World: The Broadsheet," 21 Aug. 2019 My first instinct was to go throw out the remaining capsules, terrified of my 12-pound Cairn terrier digging these out of a low-sitting medicine cabinet one day and inflaming his fears of the world. — Conor Orr, SI.com, "Vic Fangio Is Bringing His Hometown Vibes to Denver," 19 Aug. 2019 Phoenix officials hosted a community meeting to allow residents to share their fears and frustrations with the Police Department. — Bree Burkitt, azcentral, "Phoenix police must now self-report whenever they point a gun at someone," 19 Aug. 2019 Now, just a week after the ER’s closure, her fears were being tested. — NBC News, "After a rural hospital closes, delays in emergency care cost patients dearly," 19 Aug. 2019 Even without complete control, their fear can be countered through a wider perspective about the preponderance of good in humanity. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Saving the academic integrity of student-athletes," 16 Aug. 2019 Face your fears: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, defended the state’s use of a facial-recognition system, but said law enforcement will be required to undergo training before using it, cleveland.com’s Jeremy Pelzer reports. — Seth A. Richardson, cleveland.com, "Multiple states look to combat Big Pharma: The Flyover," 15 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Trump and top aides have spent the past few days trying to convince the public that the economy is strong and that fears about a recession are misguided. — Damian Paletta, Anchorage Daily News, "White House officials eye payroll tax cut in effort to reverse weakening economy," 20 Aug. 2019 Trump and top aides have spent the past few days trying to convince the public that the economy is strong and that fears about a recession are misguided. — Damian Paletta, Washington Post, "White House officials eyeing payroll tax cut in effort to reverse weakening economy," 19 Aug. 2019 Trump and top aides have spent the past few days trying to convince the public that the economy is strong and that fears about a recession are misguided. — Damian Paletta | The Washington Post, oregonlive.com, "White House floats temporary payroll tax cut to stave off recession," 19 Aug. 2019 But there was Chase Koch, scion of one of America’s mightiest private industrial dynasties — a family revered by the political right, reviled by the left and feared by just about everyone — joking about his knockabout years down in Texas. — Tom Maloneybloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Koch Industries bets on tech: ‘Do it or we’ll end up in the Dumpster’," 19 Aug. 2019 Trump and top aides have spent the past few days trying to convince the public that the economy is strong and that fears about a recession are misguided. — Damian Paletta, The Denver Post, "White House officials eye payroll tax cut in effort to reverse weakening economy," 19 Aug. 2019 This show at Shelburne is hardly dog-free, never fear. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 16 Aug. 2019 Vladimir Putin goes face to face with tigers, and even bears fear him. — Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, "Fake news has been enabling fascism for a whole century," 15 Aug. 2019 And many of those who spoke did so reluctantly, fearing retribution but also not wanting to inflict collateral damage on the industry itself. — CBS News, "Opera legend Placido Domingo a longtime sexual harasser, at least 9 women allege," 13 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.