Adjacent Words

Fear definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FEAR, n. [See the Verb.]
1. A painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Fear expresses less apprehension than dread, and dread less than terror and fright. The force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear, dread, terror, fright. Fear is accompanied with a desire to avoid or ward off the expected evil. Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us.
Fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil.
2. Anxiety; solicitude.
The principal fear was for the holy temple.
3. The cause of fear.
Thy angel becomes a fear.
4. The object of fear.
Except the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me. Genesis 31.
5. Something set or hung up to terrify wild animals, by its color or noise. Isaiah 24. Jeremiah 48.
6. In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear.
I will put my fear in their hearts. Jeremiah 32.
Slavish fear is the effect or consequence of guilt; it is the painful apprehension of merited punishment. Romans 8.
The love of God casteth out fear. 1 John 4.
7. The worship of God.
I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalms 34.
8. The law and word of God.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever. Psalms 19.
9. Reverence; respect; due regard.
Render to all their dues; fear to whom fear. Romans 13.
FEAR, v.t. [L. vereor.]
1. To feel a painful apprehension of some impending evil; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotions of alarm or solicitude. We fear the approach of an enemy or of a storm. We have reason to fear the punishment of our sins.
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Psalms 23.
2. To reverence; to have a reverential awe; to venerate.
This do, and live: for I fear God. Genesis 42.
3. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach by fear, or by a scarecrow. [This seems to be the primary meaning, but now obsolete.]
We must not make a scarecrow of the law, setting it up to fear the birds of prey.
FEAR, v.i. To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11.
Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Genesis 15.
FEAR, n. A companion. [Not in use. See Peer.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight) [syn: fear, fearfulness, fright] [ant: bravery, fearlessness]
2: an anxious feeling; "care had aged him"; "they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction" [syn: concern, care, fear]
3: a feeling of profound respect for someone or something; "the fear of God"; "the Chinese reverence for the dead"; "the French treat food with gentle reverence"; "his respect for the law bordered on veneration" [syn: fear, reverence, awe, veneration] v
1: be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event; "I fear she might get aggressive"
2: be afraid or scared of; be frightened of; "I fear the winters in Moscow"; "We should not fear the Communists!" [syn: fear, dread]
3: be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement; "I fear I won't make it to your wedding party"
4: be uneasy or apprehensive about; "I fear the results of the final exams"
5: regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of; "Fear God as your father"; "We venerate genius" [syn: reverence, fear, revere, venerate]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English feren, from Old English f?ran, from f?r Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. archaic frighten 2. archaic to feel fear in (oneself) 3. to have a reverential awe of <fear God> 4. to be afraid of ; expect with alarm <fear the worst> intransitive verb to be afraid or apprehensive <feared for their lives> • fearer noun II. noun Etymology: Middle English fer, from Old English f?r sudden danger; akin to Old High German f?ra ambush and perhaps to Latin periculum attempt, peril, Greek peiran to attempt Date: 12th century 1. a. an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger b. (1) an instance of this emotion (2) a state marked by this emotion 2. anxious concern ; solicitude 3. profound reverence and awe especially toward God 4. reason for alarm ; danger Synonyms: fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger. fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage <fear of the unknown>. dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety <faced the meeting with dread>. fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear <fright at being awakened suddenly>. alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger <view the situation with alarm>. panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity <the news caused widespread panic>. terror implies the most extreme degree of fear <immobilized with terror>. trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation <raised the subject with trepidation>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a an unpleasant emotion caused by exposure to danger, expectation of pain, etc. b a state of alarm (be in fear). 2 a cause of fear (all fears removed). 3 (often foll. by of) dread or fearful respect (towards) (had a fear of heights). 4 anxiety for the safety of (in fear of their lives). 5 danger; likelihood (of something unwelcome) (there is little fear of failure). --v. 1 a tr. feel fear about or towards (a person or thing). b intr. feel fear. 2 intr. (foll. by for) feel anxiety or apprehension about (feared for my life). 3 tr. apprehend; have uneasy expectation of (fear the worst). 4 tr. (usu. foll. by that + clause) apprehend with fear or regret (I fear that you are wrong). 5 tr. a (foll. by to + infin.) hesitate. b (foll. by verbal noun) shrink from; be apprehensive about (he feared meeting his ex-wife). 6 tr. show reverence towards. Phrases and idioms: for fear of (or that) to avoid the risk of (or that). never fear there is no danger of that. no fear colloq. expressing strong denial or refusal. without fear or favour impartially. Etymology: OE f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fere Fere, n. [OE. fere companion, AS. gef[=e]ra, from f[=e]ran to go, travel, faran to travel. [root]78. See Fare.] A mate or companion; -- often used of a wife. [Obs.] [Written also fear and feere.] --Chaucer. And Cambel took Cambrina to his fere. --Spenser. In fere, together; in company. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fear Fear, n. A variant of Fere, a mate, a companion. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fear Fear, n. [OE. fer, feer, fere, AS. f?r a coming suddenly upon, fear, danger; akin to D. vaar, OHG. f[=a]ra danger, G. gefahr, Icel. f[=a]r harm, mischief, plague, and to E. fare, peril. See Fare.] 1. A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread. Note: The degrees of this passion, beginning with the most moderate, may be thus expressed, -- apprehension, fear, dread, fright, terror. Fear is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. --Locke. Where no hope is left, is left no fear. --Milton. 2. (Script.) (a) Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God's wrath; the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme Belng. (b) Respectful reverence for men of authority or worth. I will put my fear in their hearts. --Jer. xxxii. 40. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. --Ps. xxxiv. 11. render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due . . . fear to whom fear. --Rom. xiii. 7. 3. That which causes, or which is the object of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger; dreadfulness. There were they in great fear, where no fear was. --Ps. liii. 5. The fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. --Shak. For fear, in apprehension lest. ``For fear you ne'er see chain nor money more.'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fear Fear, v. i. To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil. I exceedingly fear and quake. --Heb. xii. 21.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fear Fear, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Feared; p. pr. & vb. n. Fearing.] [OE. feren, faeren, to frighten, to be afraid, AS. f?ran to terrify. See Fear, n.] 1. To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. --Ps. xxiii. 4. Note: With subordinate clause. I greatly fear my money is not safe. --Shak. I almost fear to quit your hand. --D. Jerrold. 2. To have a reverential awe of; to solicitous to avoid the displeasure of. Leave them to God above; him serve and fear. --Milton. 3. To be anxious or solicitous for. [R.] The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, therefore . . . I fear you. --Shak. 4. To suspect; to doubt. [Obs.] Ay what else, fear you not her courage? --Shak. 5. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear. [Obs.] fear their people from doing evil. --Robynsin (More's utopia). Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs. --Shak. Syn: To apprehend; dread; reverence; venerate.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(fears, fearing, feared) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Fear is the unpleasant feeling you have when you think that you are in danger. I was sitting on the floor shivering with fear. ...boyhood memories of sickness and fear of the dark... N-VAR: oft N of n/-ing 2. If you fear someone or something, you are frightened because you think that they will harm you. Many people fear change because they do not like the old ways to be disrupted. VERB: V n 3. A fear is a thought that something unpleasant might happen or might have happened. These youngsters are motivated not by a desire to achieve, but by fear of failure... Then one day his worst fears were confirmed... N-VAR: with supp, oft N of n/-ing, N that 4. If you fear something unpleasant or undesirable, you are worried that it might happen or might have happened. She had feared she was going down with pneumonia or bronchitis... More than two million refugees have fled the area, fearing attack by loyalist forces. VERB: V that, V n 5. If you say that there is a fear that something unpleasant or undesirable will happen, you mean that you think it is possible or likely. There is a fear that the freeze on bank accounts could prove a lasting deterrent to investors. N-VAR: oft N that, N of n/-ing 6. If you fear for someone or something, you are very worried because you think that they might be in danger. Carla fears for her son... He fled on Friday, saying he feared for his life. VERB: V for n, V for n 7. If you have fears for someone or something, you are very worried because you think that they might be in danger. He also spoke of his fears for the future of his country's culture. N-VAR: N for n 8. You say that you fear that a situation is the case when the situation is unpleasant or undesirable, and when you want to express sympathy, sorrow, or regret about it. (FORMAL) I fear that a land war now looks very probable... 'Is anything left at all?'—'I fear not.' = regret VERB: V that, V so/not 9. If you are in fear of doing or experiencing something unpleasant or undesirable, you are very worried that you might have to do it or experience it. The elderly live in fear of assault and murder. PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, usu v-link PHR, PHR after v 10. If you take a particular course of action for fear of something, you take the action in order to prevent that thing happening. She was afraid to say anything to them for fear of hurting their feelings... PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, PHR with cl 11. You use 'no fear' to emphasize that you do not want to do something. (BRIT INFORMAL) When I asked him if he wanted to change his mind, William said 'No fear.' CONVENTION [emphasis]

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fer (yir'ah, yare'; phobos, phobeo):

Terms, etc.:

"Fear" is the translation of many words in the Old Testament; the chief are: yir'ah, "fear," "terror," "reverence," "awe," most often "the fear of God," "fear of Yahweh" (Ge 20:11; 2Ch 19:9, etc.); also of "fear" generally (Job 22:4; Isa 7:25; Eze 30:13, etc.); yare', "to be afraid," "to fear," "to reverence" (Ge 15:1; Le 19:3,14; De 6:2, etc.); pachadh, "fear," "terror," "dread" (Ge 31:42,53; De 11:25; 1Sa 11:7 the King James Version; Job 4:14; Isa 2:10 the King James Version, etc.).

"Fearful" (timid) is the translation of yare' (De 20:8; Jud 7:3); "to be feared," yare' (Ex 15:11; De 28:58; compare Ps 130:4); in Isa 35:4, it is the translation of mahar, "hasty," "them that are of a fearful heart," margin "Hebrew hasty"; perhaps, ready to flee (for fear).

"Fearfully" (Ps 139:14): yare', "I am fearfully (and) wonderfully made," so the Revised Version (British and American); "and" is not in the text, so that "fearfully" may be equivalent to "extremely," to an awesome degree; compare Ps 65:5, "by terrible things .... in righteousness"; 66:3, "How terrible are thy works (yare' "fearful "); the Septuagint, Peshitta, Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) have "Thou art fearfully wonderful."

"Fearfulness" occurs In Ps 55:5 (yir'ah); Isa 21:4 (pallatsuth), the Revised Version (British and American) "horror"; Isa 33:14 (re`adhah, "trembling"), "Fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites," the Revised Version (British and American) "Trembling hath seized the godless ones."

In the New Testament the chief words are phobos, "fear," "terror," "affright" (Mt 14:26; 28:4,8; Lu 21:26; 1 Joh 4:18, etc.), and phobeo, "to put in fear" (both used of ordinary fear) (Mt 1:20; 10:26; 28:5; 2Co 12:20, etc.); of the fear of God, the noun (Ro 3:18; 2Co 7:1), the verb (Lu 18:4; 23:40, etc.); deilia, "timidity," "fear," occurs in 2Ti 1:7, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear," the Revised Version (British and American) "a spirit of fearfulness"; ekphobos, "frightened out (of one's senses)," "greatly terrified" (Heb 12:21; compare De 9:19; The Wisdom of Solomon 17:9 the King James Version); apo tes eulabeias is translated (Heb 5:7) "(of Christ) who was heard in that he feared," the Revised Version (British and American) "having been heard for his godly fear"; so all the Greek commentators; eulabeia, properly, "caution," "circumspection," is used in the New Testament for godly fear (Heb 12:28, the Revised Version (British and American) "reverence and awe," margin as the King James Version); compare eulabes (Lu 2:25; Ac 2:5; 8:2); eulabeomai, "to act with caution" (Ac 23:10). Deilos, "fearful," "timid," occurs in Mt 8:26; Mr 4:40; Re 21:8, "Their part shall be .... the second death"; phoberos, "fearful," "terrible" (Heb 10:27,31); phobetron, "something fearful," "a terrible sign or portent" (Lu 21:11, Revised Version (British and American) "terrors").

Fear is a natural and, in its purpose, beneficent feeling, arising in the presence or anticipation of danger, and moving to its avoidance; it is also awakened in the presence of superiors and of striking manifestations of power, etc., taking the form of awe or reverence. Fear has been said to be the source of religion, but religion can never have originated from fear alone, since men are impelled to draw nigh with expectation to the object of worship.

"Fear" is certainly a prominent element in Old Testament religion; the "fear of God" or of Yahweh, "the fear of the Lord," is indeed synonymous with religion itself (Ps 34:11; Pr 1:7; Isa 11:2,3; Jer 2:19; Ec 12:13, "the whole duty of man," the Revised Version, margin "the duty of all men"). But although the element of dread, or of "fear" in its lower sense, is not always absent and is sometimes prominent in the earlier stages especially, though not exclusively (Ex 23:27, 'emah; 1Sa 11:7; 2Ch 20:29; Ps 119:120; Isa 2:10,19,21), it is more the feeling of reverent regard for their God, tempered with awe and fear of the punishment of disobedience. As such it is a sentiment commanded and to be cherished toward Yahweh (Ex 20:20; De 6:13; Jos 4:24; 1Sa 12:24; Job 6:14; Ps 33:8; 34:9; Pr 23:17; Ec 5:7, etc.). It is an essential element in the worship and service of Yahweh (2Ki 17 often; Ps 2:11, etc.); it is a Divine qualification of the Messiah (Isa 11:2,3). This "fear of Yahweh" is manifested in keeping God's commandments, walking in His ways, doing His will, avoiding sin, etc. (Ex 20:20; De 6:13,14; 2Sa 23:3; Ps 34:4,9 parallel Pr 8:13; 16:6). It is the true wisdom (Job 28:28; Ps 25:14; Pr 1:7; 15:33); it gives life (Pr 10:27, etc.), blessedness (Ps 128:1,4), sufficiency (Ps 34:9), Divine friendship (Ps 25:14), protection (Ps 34:7), deliverance (Ps 85:9), forgiveness (Ps 130:4). In Ps 90:11 the King James Version has "According to thy fear so is thy wrath," the Revised Version (British and American) "and thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee"; the meaning probably is "thy wrath is in proportion to thy fear."

The "fear of the Lord" is a frequent phrase in Apocrypha, and is highly exalted, e.g. Ecclesiasticus 1:11-30; the idea of it became gradually more and more elevated; in 2:15,16 it is joined with the love of God.

"Fear" is the natural consequence of sin (Ge 3:10; 4:13,14; Pr 28:1); it comes as a punishment (De 28:25,28). The fear of man and of evils are dangers to be avoided, from which the fear of God delivers (Nu 14:9; 21:34; Ps 23:4; 31:14, etc.).

"Fear" sometimes stands for the object of fear (Pr 10:24; Isa 66:4); for the object of worship (Ge 31:42,53, "the God of Abraham, and the Fear of isaac," pachadh).

In the New Testament dread, or fear of God in the lower sense, is removed; He is revealed as the loving and forgiving Father, who gives to men the spirit of sonship (Ro 8:15; 2Ti 1:7; 1 Joh 4:18); we are invited even to come "with boldness unto the throne of grace," with confidence, assurance (parrhesia), which, however, may have its literal meaning of free "utterance" (Heb 4:16; 10:19); but there remains a filial fear and sense of awe and of the greatness of the issues involved (Ro 11:20; Eph 5:21, the Revised Version (British and American) "of Christ"; 1Ti 5:20; Heb 4:1); all other fears should be dismissed (Mt 8:26; 10:26-28,31; Lu 12:32); in Mt 10:28; Lu 12:5, "fear" is used in the sense of "stand in awe of," so perhaps Lu 23:40; to "fear God" is sometimes used in the New Testament as equivalent to religion (Lu 18:4; Ac 10:2,35; 13:16,26, used of proselytes); in Heb 10:27, it is said that if Christ be willfully rejected, nothing remains but "a fearful looking for (the Revised Version (British and American) "expectation") of judgment," and 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," in which places "fearful" means "terrible," something well to be feared. the Revised Version (British and American) gives frequently a more literal rendering of the words translated "fear."

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Alarm, trepidation, dread, apprehension, fright, affright, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic. 2. Anxiety, solicitude, concern, apprehension. 3. Veneration, reverence, awe, reverential regard. II. v. a. 1. Dread, apprehend, be afraid of. 2. Apprehend, be solicitous, anxious, or concerned about. 3. Reverence, revere, venerate, stand in awe of, have a reverential regard for. III. v. n. Be afraid, alarmed, or frightened, have apprehensions, live in terror, stand aghast.

Moby Thesaurus

abulia, agitation, alarm, all-overs, angst, anticipate, anxiety, anxiety hysteria, anxiety neurosis, anxious bench, anxious concern, anxious seat, anxiousness, apprehend, apprehension, apprehensiveness, attack of nerves, awe, back down, balance, be afraid, bete noire, bogey, bogy, buck fever, bugbear, cankerworm of care, care, case of nerves, chicken-liveredness, chickenheartedness, cold feet, cold sweat, concern, concernment, consternation, cowardice, cowardliness, cravenness, debate, deliberate, demur, diffidence, discomposure, dismay, disquiet, disquietude, distress, disturbance, dread, esteem, excessive irritability, expect, eye askance, faintheart, faintheartedness, faintness, falter, fearfulness, feeblemindedness, feebleness, fidgetiness, fidgets, foreboding, forebodingness, forebodings, foresee, frailty, fright, funk, hang back, have qualms, hem and haw, henheartedness, hesitate, hesitation, horror, hover, hum and haw, imagine, infirmity, inquietude, jib, lily-liveredness, malaise, milksopism, milksoppiness, milksoppishness, misgive, misgiving, morbid excitability, nerves, nervosity, nervous stomach, nervous strain, nervous tension, nervousness, nightmare, overanxiety, panic, panickiness, pause, perturbation, phobia, pigeonheartedness, pins and needles, pliability, ponder, presentiment, pucker, pull back, qualms, quiver, respect, retreat, revere, reverence, scare, scruple, second thoughts, shilly-shally, shrink from, shudder at, shy, sit upon thorns, softness, solicitude, spell of nerves, spinelessness, stage fright, stand aghast, state of nerves, stew, stick at, stickle, stop to consider, straddle the fence, strain, strain at, suspect, suspense, tension, terror, think twice about, tic, timidity, timidness, timorousness, trepidation, trepidity, trouble, twitching, unease, uneasiness, unmanfulness, unmanliness, unquietness, upset, vellication, venerate, veneration, vexation, weak will, weak-mindedness, weakheartedness, weakness, withdraw, worry, yellowness, yield, zeal