fear
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /fɪə/
ipa: /fɪəɹ/
ipa: /fɪɹ/
note: East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
ipa: /fɛː/
ipa: /fiə/
ipa: /fiɹ/
homophone: fair
homophone: fare (both cheer–chair merger)
rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
Forms: form: fears
form: fearing
form: feared
form: feared
Etymology: 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 go through, carry forth, try”). 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”).
Senses: examples: text: I fear the worst will happen.
text: I greatly fear my money is not safe.
ref: 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]:
text: 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.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:28:
text: 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.
ref: 1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1:
glosses: To be afraid of (something or someone); to consider or expect (something or someone) with alarm.
examples: text: Never fear; help is always near.
text: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 12:32:
glosses: To feel fear.
examples: text: She fears for her son’s safety.
info_templates: extra_data: words: for
expansion: [with for]
glosses: To worry about, to feel concern for, to be afraid for [with for].
examples: text: People who fear God can be found in Christian churches.
glosses: To venerate; to feel awe towards.
examples: text: I fear I have bad news for you: your husband has died.
glosses: To regret.
examples: text: 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
ref: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book V:
text: Ythrild with deepe disdaine of his proud threat,
She shortly thus; Fly they, that need to fly;
Wordes fearen babes.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 448:
text: Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.
ref: 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]:
text: 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.
ref: 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]:
glosses: To cause fear to; to frighten.
examples: text: Fearst thou thy person? thou shalt haue a guard:
ref: 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):
text: The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children: therefore, I promise ye, I fear you.
ref: 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]:
glosses: To be anxious or solicitous for.
examples: text: Fear you not her courage?
ref: 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]:
glosses: To suspect; to doubt.
Synonyms: sense: feel fear about (something)
word: be afraid of
sense: feel fear about (something)
word: be frightened of
sense: feel fear about (something)
word: be scared of
sense: feel fear about (something)
word: be terrorise
sense: feel fear about (something)
word: terrorize
sense: venerate, to feel awe towards
word: be in awe of
sense: venerate, to feel awe towards
word: revere
sense: venerate, to feel awe towards
word: venerate
Derived terms: Allah-fearing
fearable
fearer
fear not
fools rush in where angels fear to tread
God-fearing
gods-fearing
I fear
never fear
water-fearing