fear Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
    fearfulness; fright.
  2. noun an anxious feeling
    care; concern.
    • care had aged him
    • they hushed it up out of fear of public reaction
  3. noun a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
    veneration; awe; reverence.
    • 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
  4. verb be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
    • I fear she might get aggressive
  5. verb be afraid or scared of; be frightened of
    dread.
    • I fear the winters in Moscow
    • We should not fear the Communists!
  6. verb be sorry; used to introduce an unpleasant statement
    • I fear I won't make it to your wedding party
  7. verb be uneasy or apprehensive about
    • I fear the results of the final exams
  8. verb regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
    venerate; revere; reverence.
    • Fear God as your father
    • We venerate genius

WordNet

Fear noun
Definitions
  1. A variant of Fere, a mate, a companion. Obs. Spenser.
Fear noun
Etymology
OE. fer, feer, fere, AS. fr a coming suddenly upon, fear, danger; akin to D. vaar, OHG. fara danger, G. gefahr, Icel. far harm, mischief, plague, and to E. fare, peril. See Fare.
Definitions
  1. A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread. ✍ 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.
    Shak.
Fear transitive verb
Etymology
OE. feren, faeren, to frighten, to be afraid, AS. fran to terrify. See Fear, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Feared ; present participle & verbal noun Fearing
Definitions
  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.
    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. z2
    fera their people from doing evil. Robynsin (More's utopia).
    Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs. Shak.
    Syn. -- To apprehend; drad; reverence; venerate.
Fear intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. 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 1913