a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling.
an abnormal fear of heights.
concern or anxiety; solicitude.
a fear for someone's safety.
reverential awe, especially toward God.
the fear of God.
something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of.
Cancer is a common fear.
anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur.
Having grown up during the Great Depression, he had a constant fear of running out of money.
to regard with fear; be afraid of.
to have reverential awe of.
to consider or anticipate (something unpleasant) with a feeling of dread or alarm.
It's about to snow again, I fear.
Archaic. to experience fear in (oneself).
I fear me he will ne'er forgive us.
to have fear; be afraid.
I'll go with you, so do not fear!
to feel apprehensive or uneasy (usually followed byfor ).
In this time of economic instability, I fear for my children's future.
for fear of / that, in order to prevent or avoid the risk of.
She is afraid to say anything for fear of the consequences.
put the fear of God in / into, to cause to be greatly afraid.
a river in SE North Carolina. 202 miles (325 km) long.
Cape, a cape at its mouth.
a feeling of distress, apprehension, or alarm caused by impending danger, pain, etc
a cause of this feeling
awe; reverence
fear of God
concern; anxiety
possibility; chance
there is no fear of that happening
to forestall or avoid
certainly not
to frighten
to be afraid (to do something) or of (a person or thing); dread
(tr) to revere; respect
(tr; takes a clause as object) to be sorry: used to lessen the effect of an unpleasant statement
I fear that you have not won
to feel anxiety about something
an archaic word for frighten
Fear, alarm, dread all imply a painful emotion experienced when one is confronted by threatening danger or evil. Alarm implies an agitation of the feelings caused by awakening to imminent danger; it names a feeling of fright or panic: He started up in alarm. Fear and dread usually refer more to a condition or state than to an event. Fear is often applied to an attitude toward something, which, when experienced, will cause the sensation of fright: fear of falling. Dread suggests anticipation of something, usually a particular event, which, when experienced, will be disagreeable rather than frightening: She lives in dread of losing her money. The same is often true of fear, when used in a negative statement: She has no fear of losing her money.
— Fear and Trembling: A philosophical exploration of faith and ethics by Sören Kierkegaard. Published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio. — Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream: A roman à clef by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, illustrated by Ralph Steadman. First printed in 1971 as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine, and as a novel in 1972. — Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A film adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson book, directed by Terry Gilliam. Released in 1998. — The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things: 1999 book by sociologist Barry Glassner, examining why Americans' fears are misplaced and exaggerated. Revised and updated in 2010. — Fear Factor: An American reality game show (2001–2006) in which contestants had to complete a series of dangerous, disgusting, or otherwise fear-inducing stunts. —No FEAR Act: The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–174). The act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002, increases Federal agency accountability for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees.
First recorded before 900; Middle English fere, Old English fær “sudden attack or danger”; cognate with Old Saxon fār “ambush,” Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr “danger,” Old Norse fār “disaster”
Does the sight of a snake fill you with panic and the desire to run away as quickly as possible? If so, you have a fear of snakes. People have fear for many things: bugs, guns, heights, etc. Horror movies try to fill the audience with fear. Some fears make more sense than others. The fear of jumping out of planes makes a lot of sense, but the fear of public speaking isn't as logical: it won't kill you. Fear includes anxiety and can be very emotionally painful. If you're scared of anything, you know what fear is all about.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After the Cold War, falling defense budgets and fear of pollution and accidents pushed production offshore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
There is anger and fear, as well as hope and acceptance, exposing the growing anxieties over immigration and social change as Japan grapples with a labour shortage from a shrinking and ageing population.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
They fear that any strings attached to the public money will make many private schools balk at taking it.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
That claim translated the fear and disruption of the surge into a constitutional injury that courts could recognize.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
There is something about canoes; they do not cause fear.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Cape Fear Advisors CEO Greg Collins pushed back against the negative software sentiment, telling MarketWatch that “it does appear the market is reacting more to a fear than to the results.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Fear has gripped Ebola-hit areas in eastern DR Congo as the suspected number of deaths continues to rise.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Fear doesn’t always go away with a comfortable, well-executed retirement plan.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
Jim Kierstead, producer of “Dog Day Afternoon,” “The Fear of 13” and last year’s “Othello” starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, said he only minds the latter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
This is Cape Fear Pier, one of the North Carolinian ports used in the transatlantic slave trade.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
More generally, he added, "this withdrawal weakens the international architecture of criminal justice and heightens fears that the perpetrators of the most serious crimes will escape any prosecution".
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Monday’s sharp selloff reflects easing fears of a broadening conflict after two weeks of strikes, but key risks remain, according to market watchers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
That order was sparked by fears the systems are becoming more powerful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Residents were evacuated on Friday night after a change in weather sparked fears the blaze was moving towards the village of Nethy Bridge and a major incident was declared.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
“We are real, your fears we feel, but we’re not demons or the dead,” raps the first voice.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
The incident serves as an early example of loss-of-control scenarios long feared by artificial-intelligence safety researchers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Investors perhaps feared a worse update to the outlook, and IBM shares were up 3% in the extended session following the latest update.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The report highlighted the "psychological factor" among communities who feared a fire season like 2024 and therefore helped control any outbreaks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Williams told a jury at Swansea Crown Court she feared she would die.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Back then, I feared I’d never see Fifth and Alder, much less the Dairy Maid.
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
Just a few years ago, banks couldn’t get away from commercial real-estate loans fast enough, fearing potential losses as office vacancy rates remained elevated after the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The policy was only strengthened further by subsequent administrations, fearing a new international standard for targeted killings could result in unintended consequences in the halls of Washington.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
The bill actually failed on the first attempt to pass it, owing to state lawmakers fearing that it might hinder municipal efforts to prevent flood-related property damage and harm to residents.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
His father called police days after Amen's death fearing that his son was involved.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“But at home Ma only makes us do them on Saturdays. And our house is always pretty clean,” Genie told her, fearing this might be some kind of punishment.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.