# fear
## English
### Pronunciation

* (General Australian, Received Pronunciation) IPA: /fɪə/
* (General American) IPA: /fɪɚ/, /fɪɹ/
** Audio (US):(file)
* (Scotland) IPA: /fiɹ/
* (New Zealand) IPA: /fiə/
* (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA: /fɛː/
* Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
* Homophones: fair, fare (both cheer–chair merger)

### Etymology 1

From Middle English feer, fere, fer, from Old English fǣr, ġefǣr (“calamity, sudden danger, peril, sudden attack, terrible sight”), from Proto-Germanic *fērō, *fērą (“danger”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to attempt, try, research, risk”). Cognate with Dutch gevaar (“danger, risk, peril”), German Gefahr (“danger, risk, hazard”), Swedish fara (“danger, risk, peril”), Latin perīculum (“danger, risk, trial”), Albanian frikë (“fear, danger”), Romanian frică. Doublet of peril.
The verb is from Middle English feren, from Old English fǣran (“to frighten, raven”), from the noun. Cognate with the archaic Dutch verb varen (“to fear; to cause fear”).

#### Noun

fear (countable and uncountable, plural fears)
* (uncountable) A strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.
    He was struck by fear on seeing the snake.
** 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed.
** 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
** 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?’
* (countable) A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.
    Not everybody has the same fears. I have a fear of ants.
** 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers.
* (uncountable) Terrified veneration or reverence, particularly towards God, gods, or sovereigns.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm CXI:10:The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome.
** 1846, [John Ruskin], Modern Painters […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, part III (Of Ideas of Beauty), section I (Of the Theoretic Faculty), page 121:That sacred dread of all offence to him, which is called the Fear of God.
* (UK, with definite article, "the fear") A feeling of dread and anxiety when waking after drinking a lot of alcohol, wondering what one did while drunk.
    Synonym: hangxiety
** 2019, Ruth Kelly, The Little Vineyard in Provence:Her feeling of humiliation had intensified as the day had gone on and her hangover had worsened. She now also had 'the fear' to contend with, […]
** 2020, Mark Ratcliffe, The Step Down: A Very Scottish Crime:He had the fear, that feeling of dread that you've done something really embarrassing. The fear was a hundred times worse than the hangover. No, a thousand times worse.

##### Synonyms

* (an emotion caused by actual or perceived danger; a sense of fear induced by something or someone): See Thesaurus:fear
* (terrified veneration): dread

##### Derived terms

* affear
* antifear
* fear campaign
* fearfest
* fearful
* fear gortha
* fearless
* fearlike
* fear monger
* fearmonger
* fearnaught
* fear of heights
* fear of missing out
* fearscape
* fearsome
* fearthought
* for fear of
* for fear that
* geometry of fear
* germ-fear
* germ fear
* have no fear of ice cold beer
* height fear
* height-fear
* microfear
* night fear
* night-fear
* nightfear
* no fear
* overfear
* put the fear of God into
* rub the fear of God into
* snake fear
* spider-fear
* spider fear
* stage fear
* strike fear
* technofear
* textbook fear
* unfear
* water fear
* water-fear
* without fear or favour

##### Translations

Acehnese: takot
Afrikaans: vrees (af)
Albanian: frikë (sq) f, druaj (sq)
Amharic: ፍርሃት f (fərhat)
Arabic: خَوْف (ar) m (ḵawf), وَهَل m (wahal)
Egyptian Arabic: خوف m (ḵōf)
Hijazi Arabic: خوف m (ḵōf)
Moroccan Arabic: خوف m (ḵəwf), خْلعة f (ḵləʕa)
Aragonese: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: վախ (hy) (vax), երկյուղ (hy) (erkyuġ), ահ (hy) (ah)
Assamese: ভয় (bhoy)
Asturian: mieu (ast) m
Aymara: asxaraña
Azerbaijani: qorxu (az)
Bashkir: ҡурҡыу (qurqıw)
Basque: herstura
Bats: ჴერლʻომ (qerlˢom)
Belarusian: страх m (strax), бая́знь f (bajáznʹ), бо́язнь f (bójaznʹ), бо́язь f (bójazʹ)
Bengali: ভয় (bn) (bhoẏ), ডর (bn) (ḍor), ত্রাস (bn) (traś)
Breton: aon (br)
Bulgarian: страх (bg) m (strah), боя́зън (bg) f (bojázǎn), опасе́ние (bg) n (opasénie)
Burmese: ဘယာ (my) (bha.ya)
Carpathian Rusyn: страх m (strax)
Catalan: por (ca) f, paüra (ca) f, basarda (ca) f, temor (ca) m or f
Cebuano: hadlok
Cherokee: ᎤᎾᏰᎯᏍᏗ (unayehisdi)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 恐懼 / 恐惧 (hung$^2$ geoi$^6$)
Classical Chinese: 惧 (jù)
Mandarin: 恐怖 (zh) (kǒngbù)
Cimbrian: dabòrte
Czech: strach (cs) m, bázeň (cs) f (literary), obava (cs) f
Danish: angst (da), frygt (da) c
Divehi: ބިރުވެރިކަމަކީ (biruverikamakī)
Dutch: angst (nl), vrees (nl) f
Egyptian: (snḏ m), (snḏw m)
Esperanto: timo (eo)
Estonian: hirm (et), kartus
Extremaduran: mieu
Faroese: ótti m, ræðsla f, angist f, bangilsi n
Finnish: pelko (fi), kammo (fi)
French: peur (fr) f, crainte (fr) f
Friulian: pôre f, timôr
Galician: medo (gl) m, receo m, temor (gl) m
Georgian: ზარი (ka) (zari), შიში (šiši)
German: Angst (de) f, Furcht (de) f
Alemannic German: Angscht f, Engschti f
Gothic: 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃 n (agis), 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹 f (faurhtei)
Greek: φόβος (el) m (fóvos)
Ancient: φόβος m (phóbos)
Gujarati: please add this translation if you can
Hausa: tsṑrō m
Hawaiian: makaʻu
Hebrew: פַּחַד (he) m (páḥad)
Higaonon: haduk
Hiligaynon: hadlok
Hindi: डर (hi) m (ḍar), भय (hi) m (bhay), ख़ौफ़ m (xauf), खौफ (hi) m (khauph), सहम (hi) m (saham)
Hungarian: félelem (hu)
Icelandic: hræðsla (is) f, beygur (is) m, ótti (is) m
Ido: please add this translation if you can
Indonesian: takut (id)
Interlingua: timor, pavor
Irish: eagla (ga) f, scéin f
Old Irish: ómun m
Istriot: tamur, pagura f
Italian: paura (it) f, timore (it) m
Japanese: 恐れ (ja) (おそれ, osore), 恐怖 (ja) (きょうふ, kyōfu)
Javanese: wedi (jv)
Jeju: 겁 (jje) (geop), ᄆᆞ슴 (jje) (mawseum)
Kannada: ಭಯ (kn) (bhaya), ಹೆದರಿಕೆ (kn) (hedarike)
Kashubian: strach m
Kazakh: қорқыныш (qorqynyş), үрей (ürei)
Khmer: សេចក្ដីខ្លាច (səchkdəy klaach)
Korean: 공포(恐怖) (ko) (gongpo), 겁 (ko) (geop)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ترس (ckb) (tirs)
Northern Kurdish: tirs (ku) f
Kyrgyz: коркунуч (ky) (korkunuc), коркуу (ky) (korkuu)
Ladino: espanto, ispantu (Monastir), temor
Lao: ຫວາດ (wāt), ຄວາມຢ້ານ (lo) (khuām yān), ຄວາມກົວ (khuām kūa)
Latgalian: baime f, baile f
Latin: timor m, metus m, pavor m
Latvian: bailes pl, bažas pl
Ligurian: poîa f, póia f
Lithuanian: baimė (lt) f, bijojimas m
Lombard: pora (lmo) f, pavura f
Low German: Furcht
Luxembourgish: Angscht f, Fuercht f
Macedonian: страв (mk) m (strav)
Malay: ketakutan (ms), takut (ms)
Malayalam: ഭയം (ml) (bhayaṁ), പേടി (ml) (pēṭi)
Maltese: biża f
Manx: aggle m
Maore Comorian: fazaa class 9, trisidzo
Maori: please add this translation if you can
Marathi: भीती f (bhītī)
Middle English: fer, ferd
Mirandese: miedo m
Mongolian: аймшиг (mn) (ajmšig)
Nanai: нгэлэ- (ŋele-)
Nepali: डर (ḍar), भय (bhaya), त्रास (trās)
Ngazidja Comorian: uhara
Norwegian:
Bokmål: frykt (no) f, redsel (no) m
Occitan: paur (oc) f
Odia: ଡର (or) (ḍara)
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: страхъ m (straxŭ), боꙗзнь f (bojaznĭ)
Glagolitic: ⱄⱅⱃⰰⱈⱏ m (straxŭ)
Old East Slavic: страхъ m (straxŭ)
Old English: eġe m
Old French: peor f
Old Javanese: wĕdi
Old Norse: ótti m, hræðsla f, uggr m
Old Occitan: paor f
Oromo: sodaa
Ossetian: тас (tas)
Ottoman Turkish: قورقو (korku)
Papiamentu: miedu
Pashto: ډار (ps) m
Persian: ترس (fa) (tars), بیم (fa) (bim), هراس (fa) (harâs), خوف (fa) (xowf)
Plautdietsch: Forcht f
Polabian: stroch m
Polish: strach (pl) m, niepokój (pl) m, bojaźń (pl) f
Portuguese: medo (pt) m, temor (pt) m, receio (pt) m (apprehensive fear)
Punjabi: please add this translation if you can
Romanian: frică (ro) f, teamă (ro) f
Romansch: tema f
Russian: страх (ru) m (strax), боя́знь (ru) f (bojáznʹ), опасе́ние (ru) n (opasénije)
Sanskrit: भय (sa) n (bhaya)
Sardinian: timoria f
Scots: please add this translation if you can
Scottish Gaelic: eagal m, uabhas m, oillt f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: стра̑х m, бо̏ја̄зан f
Roman: strȃh (sh) m, bȍjāzan (sh) f
Sicilian: paura (scn) f, pagura (scn) f
Sinhalese: බය (baya)
Slovak: strach m, obava f
Slovene: strah (sl) m, bojazen f
Somali: please add this translation if you can
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: tšach m
Upper Sorbian: trach m
Southern Altai: корку (korku), коркуш (korkuš)
Spanish: miedo (es) m, temor (es) m, pavor (es) m, pavura f
Svan: მაყალ (maq̇al)
Swahili: woga (sw), hofu (sw)
Swedish: skräck (sv), rädsla (sv) c
Sylheti: ꠒꠞ (ḍor)
Tagalog: takot
Tajik: тарс (tg) (tars), ҳарос (tg) (haros), ваҳм (vahm), хавф (tg) (xavf)
Tamil: பயம் (ta) (payam)
Tatar: курку (qurku)
Telugu: భయము (te) (bhayamu)
Tetum: ta'uk
Thai: ความกลัว (th) (kwaam-gluua)
Tibetan: ཞེད་སྣང (zhed snang)
Tocharian B: īwate, parskalñe
Turkish: korku (tr)
Turkmen: gorky, heder
Ukrainian: страх (uk) m (strax), боя́знь (uk) f (bojáznʹ), ляк m (ljak)
Urdu: ڈر m (ḍar), خوف (xauf), بھی m (bhay)
Uyghur: قورقۇش (qorqush)
Uzbek: qoʻrquv (uz), doʻq (uz)
Vietnamese: sự khiếp đảm, sự sợ hãi
Volapük: dred (vo)
Walloon: paw (wa) f, peu (wa) f
Welsh: ofn (cy)
White Hmong: ntshai
Yiddish: שרעק m or f (shrek), מורא f (moyre)
Yoruba: ẹ̀rù
Zenda: gunde
Zhuang: please add this translation if you can :
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Verb

fear (third-person singular simple present fears, present participle fearing, simple past and past participle feared)
* (transitive) To be afraid of (something or someone); to consider or expect (something or someone) with alarm.
    I fear the worst will happen.
** c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:I greatly fear my money is not safe.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:28:And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
** 1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
** 2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1:One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools […] as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.
* (intransitive) To feel fear.
    Never fear; help is always near.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 12:32:Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
* (intransitive) To worry about, to feel concern for, to be afraid for [with for].
    She fears for her son’s safety.
* (transitive) To venerate; to feel awe towards.
    People who fear God can be found in Christian churches.
* (transitive) To regret.
    I fear I have bad news for you: your husband has died.
* (obsolete, transitive) To cause fear to; to frighten.
** 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book V:Thenne the knyghte sayd to syre Gawayn / bynde thy wounde or thy blee chaunge / for thou bybledest al thy hors and thy fayre armes / […] / For who someuer is hurte with this blade he shalle neuer be staunched of bledynge / Thenne ansuerd gawayn hit greueth me but lytyl / thy grete wordes shalle not feare me ne lasse my courage(please add an English translation of this quotation)
** 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 448:Ythrild with deepe disdaine of his proud threat, She shortly thus; Fly they, that need to fly; Wordes fearen babes.
** c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.
** c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:We must not make a scarecrow of the law, Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, And let it keep one shape, till custom make it Their perch and not their terror.
* (obsolete, transitive) To be anxious or solicitous for.
** 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):Fearst thou thy person? thou shalt haue a guard:
** c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children: therefore, I promise ye, I fear you.
* (obsolete, transitive) To suspect; to doubt.
** 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:Fear you not her courage?

##### Synonyms

* (feel fear about (something)): be afraid of, be frightened of, be scared of, be terrorised/terrorized
* (venerate; to feel awe towards): be in awe of, revere, venerate

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “venerate; to feel awe towards”): belittle, contemn

##### Derived terms

* Allah-fearing
* fearable
* fearer
* fear not
* fools rush in where angels fear to tread
* God-fearing
* gods-fearing
* never fear

##### Translations

Albanian: ka frikë
Alviri-Vidari: بترسستن (betersesten)
Arabic: خَافَ (ḵāfa), خَشِيَ (ḵašiya), هَابَ (hāba), رَهِبَ (rahiba)
Egyptian Arabic: خاف (ḵāf)
Hijazi Arabic: خاف (ḵāf), اترعب (atraʕab), انرعب (anraʕab)
Moroccan Arabic: خاف (ḵæf), تْخْلع (tḵlæʕ)
South Levantine Arabic: خاف (ḵāf)
Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܕܚܠ (dħel)
Armenian: վախենալ (hy) (vaxenal), երկյուղել (hy) (erkyuġel), երկնչել (hy) (erknčʻel)
Asturian: temer, atarrecer (ast)
Azerbaijani: qorxmaq (az)
Belarusian: бая́цца impf (bajácca), пужа́цца impf (pužácca), пало́хацца impf (palóxacca), страшы́цца impf (strašýcca), ляка́цца impf (ljakácca)
Bengali: ভয় করা (bhoẏ kora)
Bulgarian: боя́ се impf (bojá se), страху́вам се impf (strahúvam se), пла́ша се (bg) impf (pláša se)
Burmese: ကြောက် (my) (krauk)
Catalan: témer (ca), tenir por de
Cherokee: ᎠᏍᎦᎢᎭ (asgaiha)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 害怕 (zh) (hàipà), 怕 (zh) (pà)
Czech: bát se impf
Danish: frygte (da), være bange for
Dutch: vrezen (nl), bang zijn voor
Egyptian: (snḏ)
Coptic: ⲥⲛⲁⲧ (snat)
Esperanto: timi (eo)
Estonian: kartma
Faroese: stúra fyri, ræðast (fo)
Finnish: pelätä (fi)
French: craindre (fr), avoir peur (fr) (de)
Friulian: temê
Galician: temer (gl), recear (gl), ter medo de
Georgian: ეშინია (ešinia)
German: fürchten (de), Angst haben vor
Gothic: 𐍉𐌲𐌰𐌽 (ōgan)
Greek: φοβάμαι (el) (fovámai)
Ancient: φοβέομαι (phobéomai), δείδω (deídō), ὀκνέω (oknéō) (fear of doing something)
Guaraní: ...rehe kyhyje
Haitian Creole: pè
Hebrew: פָּחַד (he) (pakhád), יָרֵא (he) (yaré)
Hindi: डरना (hi) (ḍarnā)
Hungarian: fél (hu)
Icelandic: óttast (is), hræðast
Ido: timar (io)
Indonesian: takut (id)
Ingrian: hervitä, pölätä
Interlingua: timer, haber timor
Irish: eagla a bheith ort roimh
Old Irish: ad·ágathar
Italian: temere (it), aver paura di
Japanese: 恐れる (ja) (おそれる, osoreru), 怖る (おそる, osoru), 怖がる (ja) (こわがる, kowagaru)
Jeju: ᄆᆞ시다 (mawsida) (light), 무시다 (musida) (dark), 저어라ᄒᆞ다 (jeo'eorahawda), ᄆᆞ슴타다 (mawseumtada), 겁내다 (geomnaeda)
Kashubian: bòjec
Kazakh: қорқу (qorqu), жасқану (jasqanu)
Khmer: ខ្លាច (km) (khlaac)
Korean: 두려워하다 (ko) (duryeowohada), 무서워하다 (ko) (museowohada), 겁내다 (ko) (geomnaeda)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ترسین (tirsîn)
Northern Kurdish: tirsîn (ku)
Kyrgyz: коркуу (ky) (korkuu)
Lao: ຢ້ານກົວ (yān kūa), ກົວ (kūa), ຂຍາດ (kha nyāt), ຂາມ (khām)
Latin: timeō (la), paveō, veror, vereor (la), formidō, metuō
Latvian: baidīties (lv), bīties, bažīties, baiļoties
Lithuanian: bijoti, baimintis, būgštauti, nuogąstauti
Macedonian: се стравува impf (se stravuva), се плаши impf (se plaši)
Malay: takut (ms)
Malayalam: ഭയക്കുക (ml) (bhayakkuka), പേടിക്കുക (ml) (pēṭikkuka)
Manchu: ᡤᡝᠯᡝᠮᠪᡳ (gelembi), ᠰᡝᠰᡠᠯᠠᠮᠪᡳ (sesulambi), ᠰᡝᠩᡤᡠᠸᡝᠮᠪᡳ (sengguwembi), ᡤᠣᠯᠣᠮᠪᡳ (golombi)
Maori: uruwehi
Mbyá Guaraní: kyje
Middle English: anoyen
Mon: ဖေက် (mnw)
Mongolian: айх (mn) (ajx)
Nepali: डराउनु (ḍarāunu), तर्सिनु (tarsinu), तर्सिनु (tarsinu)
Norman: croindre (Guernsey)
Northern Sami: ballat
Norwegian:
Bokmål: frykte
Occitan: témer (oc), crénher (oc), crentar (oc)
Old English: ondrǣdan
Old Norse: hræðask, ugga
Old Turkic: 𐰴𐰆𐰺𐰴 (qorq-), 𐰇𐰼𐰛 (ürk-), 𐰖𐰃𐰣 (ayïn-), 𐰪 (ań-)
Persian: ترسیدن (fa) (tarsidan)
Polish: bać się (pl) impf, lękać się impf
Portuguese: temer (pt), ter medo de, recear (pt)
Quechua: manchay, mancai, manzai
Rapa Nui: mataku
Romanian: teme (ro)
Romansch: temair, temer, tmair
Russian: боя́ться (ru) impf (bojátʹsja) (+ genitive), страши́ться (ru) impf (strašítʹsja) (+ genitive), опаса́ться (ru) impf (opasátʹsja) (+ genitive), пуга́ться (ru) impf (pugátʹsja)
Sanskrit: बिभेति (sa) (bibheti), त्रसति (sa) (trasati)
Santali: ᱵᱳᱨᱳ (boro)
Sardinian: tímere, timi
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: бо̀јати се impf, пла̏шити се impf
Roman: bòjati se (sh) impf, plȁšiti se (sh) impf
Slovak: báť sa impf
Slovene: báti se impf
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bójaś impf
Spanish: temer (es), tener miedo de
Sundanese: sebér
Swahili: -ogopa (sw), -hofu (sw)
Swedish: frukta (sv), rädas (sv), (of something being the case or coming to pass) befara (sv)
Tagalog: pagtakot
Tajik: тарсидан (tarsidan)
Tatar: курку (qurku)
Thai: กลัว (th) (gluua), หวั่น (th) (wàn), เกรง (th) (greeng), ขาม (th) (kǎam), คร้าม (th) (kráam), ประหวั่น (th) (bprà-wàn), ปอด (th) (bpɔ̀ɔt)
Tocharian B: pärsk-
Tupinambá: ...resé sykyîé
Turkish: korkmak (tr), ürkmek (tr)
Turkmen: gorkmak
Ugaritic: 𐎄𐎈𐎍 (dḥl)
Ukrainian: боя́тися (uk) impf (bojátysja), ляка́тися impf (ljakátysja), поло́хатися impf (polóxatysja), страши́тися impf (strašýtysja), страха́тися impf (straxátysja)
Urdu: ڈرنا (ḍarnā)
Uzbek: qoʻrqmoq (uz), hayiqmoq (uz)
Venetan: temer
Vietnamese: sợ (vi), hãi (vi), sợ hãi (vi)
Walloon: awè peu (wa), aveur paw, crinde (wa), ricrinde (wa)
Yakut: куттан (kuttan)
Yiddish: מוירע האָבן (moyre hobn)
Yoruba: bẹ̀rù :

### Etymology 2

From Middle English fere, feore, from Old English fēre (“able to go, fit for service”), from Proto-Germanic *fōriz (“passable”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to put across, ferry”). Cognate with Scots fere, feir (“well, active, sound”), Middle High German gevüere (“able, capable, fit, serviceable”), Swedish för (“capable, able, stout”), Icelandic færr (“able”). Related to fare.

#### Adjective

fear (comparative more fear, superlative most fear)
* (dialectal) Able; capable; stout; strong; sound.
    hale and fear

##### Alternative forms

* feer

### Anagrams

* FERA, Fera, Rafe, fare, reaf

## Irish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fʲaɾˠ/
* (Cois Fharraige) IPA: /fʲæɾˠ/

### Etymology 1

From Old Irish fer, from Proto-Celtic *wiros, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós.
Cognate with Welsh gŵr, Breton gour, Cornish gour, Gaulish viros, Latin vir, Sanskrit वीर (vīra), Lithuanian výras, Avestan 𐬬𐬍𐬭𐬀 (vīra), and Old English wer.

#### Noun

fear m (genitive singular fir, nominative plural fir)
* man (adult male)
    Tá an fear ag ól uisce.The man is drinking water.
    Sláinte chuig na fir agus go marfuire na mná go deo!Health to the men and may the women live forever!
* husband, male spouse

##### Declension

bare forms
singular
plural
nominative
fear
fir
vocative
a fhir
a fheara
genitive
fir
fear
dative
fear
fir
forms with the definite article
singular
plural
nominative
an fear
na fir
genitive
an fhir
na bhfear
dative
leis an bhfear don fhear
leis na fir :

##### Derived terms

* ardfhear (“excellent man”)
* baintreach fir (“widower”)
* banaltra fir (“male nurse”)
* bunfhear
* calmfhear
* ceartfhear
* cnámhfhear (“bones”)
* crannfhear (“aging man”)
* dea-fhear
* dréimire fir (“tall thin man”)
* fear adaic
* fear ascaille (“second oarsman”)
* fear banna
* fear bréige (“scarecrow”)
* fear cathaoireach (“chairman”)
* fear céile (“husband”)
* fear dóiteáin
* fear falsa (“scarecrow”)
* fear fichille (“chess piece, chessman”)
* fear ionaid (“deputy; vicar”)
* fear margaidh (“marketeer; bargain-maker”)
* fear na gcrúb (“the Devil; joker”)
* fear siúil
* fear sneachta (“snowman”)
* fear sorcais (“circus clown”)
* fear- (“man-, male; manly, he-”)
* fearchumhacht
* fearúil (“manly, masculine;”, adjective)
* firín (“little man, manikin”, diminutive)
* fuathaitheoir fear (“misandrist”)
* murúch fir (“merman”)
* ógfhear (“young man”)
* saorfhear
* seanfhear (“old man”)
* slatfhear
* tréanfhear

### Etymology 2

From Middle Irish feraid, from Old Irish feraid.

#### Verb

fear (present analytic fearann, future analytic fearfaidh, verbal noun fearadh, past participle feartha) (transitive)
* to shed (a liquid)
* to excrete

##### Conjugation

| verbal noun | fearadh | fearadh | fearadh | fearadh | fearadh | fearadh | fearadh | fearadh |
| past participle | feartha | feartha | feartha | feartha | feartha | feartha | feartha | feartha |
| tense | singular | singular | singular | plural | plural | plural | relative | autonomous |
| tense | first | second | third | first | second | third | relative | autonomous |
| indicative |||||||||
| present | fearaim | fearann tú; fearair$^†$ | fearann sé, sí | fearaimid | fearann sibh | fearann siad; fearaid$^†$ | a fhearann; a fhearas / a bhfearann* | feartar |
| past | d'fhear mé; d'fhearas / fhear mé‡; fhearas‡ | d'fhear tú; d'fhearais / fhear tú; fhearais‡ | d'fhear sé, sí / fhear sé, sí‡ | d'fhearamar; d'fhear muid / fhearamar; fhear muid‡ | d'fhear sibh; d'fhearabhair / fhear sibh; fhearabhair‡ | d'fhear siad; d'fhearadar / fhear siad; fhearadar‡ | a d'fhear / ar fhear* | fearadh |
| past habitual | d'fhearainn / fhearainn‡; bhfearainn‡‡ | d'fheartá / fheartá‡; bhfeartá‡‡ | d'fhearadh sé, sí / fhearadh sé, sí‡; bhfearadh sé, sí‡‡ | d'fhearaimis; d'fhearadh muid / fhearaimis; fhearadh muid‡; bhfearaimis‡‡; bhfearadh muid‡‡ | d'fhearadh sibh / fhearadh sibh‡; bhfearadh sibh‡‡ | d'fhearaidís; d'fhearadh siad / fhearaidís; fhearadh siad‡; bhfearaidís‡‡; bhfearadh siad‡‡ | a d'fhearadh / a bhfearadh* | d'fheartaí / fheartaí‡; bhfeartaí‡‡ |
| future | fearfaidh mé; fearfad | fearfaidh tú; fearfair$^†$ | fearfaidh sé, sí | fearfaimid; fearfaidh muid | fearfaidh sibh | fearfaidh siad; fearfaid$^†$ | a fhearfaidh; a fhearfas / a bhfearfaidh* | fearfar |
| conditional | d'fhearfainn / fhearfainn‡; bhfearfainn‡‡ | d'fhearfá / fhearfá‡; bhfearfá‡‡ | d'fhearfadh sé, sí / fhearfadh sé, sí‡; bhfearfadh sé, sí‡‡ | d'fhearfaimis; d'fhearfadh muid / fhearfaimis‡; fhearfadh muid‡; bhfearfaimis‡‡; bhfearfadh muid‡‡ | d'fhearfadh sibh / fhearfadh sibh‡; bhfearfadh sibh‡‡ | d'fhearfaidís; d'fhearfadh siad / fhearfaidís‡; fhearfadh siad‡; bhfearfaidís‡‡; bhfearfadh siad‡‡ | a d'fhearfadh / a bhfearfadh* | d'fhearfaí / fhearfaí‡; bhfearfaí‡‡ |
| subjunctive |||||||||
| present | go bhfeara mé; go bhfearad$^†$ | go bhfeara tú; go bhfearair$^†$ | go bhfeara sé, sí | go bhfearaimid; go bhfeara muid | go bhfeara sibh | go bhfeara siad; go bhfearaid$^†$ | — | go bhfeartar |
| past | dá bhfearainn | dá bhfeartá | dá bhfearadh sé, sí | dá bhfearaimis; dá bhfearadh muid | dá bhfearadh sibh | dá bhfearaidís; dá bhfearadh siad | — | dá bhfeartaí |
| imperative |||||||||
| – | fearaim | fear | fearadh sé, sí | fearaimis | fearaigí; fearaidh$^†$ | fearaidís | — | feartar |
* indirect relative † archaic or dialect form ‡ dependent form ‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### References

* ↑ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 57, page 30
* ↑ Finck, F. N. (1899) Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), volume II, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 106
* ↑ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 269, page 95
* ↑ de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977) Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 5, page 3
* ↑ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 fer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* ↑ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “feraid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “fear”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “fear”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
* “fear”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025

## Scots
### Noun

fear (plural fears)
* fear

### Verb

fear (third-person singular simple present fears, present participle fearin, simple past feart, past participle feart)
* to fear
* to frighten, scare

## Scottish Gaelic
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Irish fer, from Proto-Celtic *wiros, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɛɾ/

### Noun

fear m (genitive singular fir, plural fir)
* man
* husband, male spouse

#### Declension

$^✝$ obsolete form, used until the 19th century

#### Derived terms

* fear an taighe
* fear-
* fear-taighe
* fireann
* fireannach
* fireannta

### Pronoun

fear (genitive fir)
* somebody, something, one

#### Usage notes

* Used when referring to a singular masculine subject.
* For feminine subjects tè is used. Alternatively, neach can be used for either gender.
* In the plural feadhainn is used for both genders.

#### Derived terms

* feareigin
* fear mu seach

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### See also

* bean

### Further reading

* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 fer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

## West Frisian
### Etymology 1

From Old Frisian fethere, from Proto-West Germanic *feþru, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥.
Cognate with English feather, Greek φτερό (fteró, “wing, feather”), Latin penna (“wing, feather”) and Irish éan (“bird”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈfɪə̯r/

#### Noun

fear c (plural fearren, diminutive fearke)
* feather
* spring (mechanical device)

##### Further reading

* “fear (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *farjǭ. Cognate with Dutch veer, English ferry.

#### Noun

fear n (plural fearen)
* ferry

##### Further reading

* “fear (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

### Etymology 3

From Old Frisian *farn, from Proto-West Germanic *farn.

#### Noun

fear c (plural fearen)
* fern

##### Further reading

* “fear (III)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

### Etymology 4

From Old Frisian *farch, from Proto-West Germanic *farh. Cognate with English farrow.

#### Adjective

fear
* farrow

##### Further reading

* “fear (V)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011