fear
fear definition
fear (fir)
noun
- a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain, etc.; timidity; dread; terror; fright; apprehension
- respectful dread; awe; reverence
- a feeling of uneasiness or apprehension; concern a fear that it will rain
- a cause for fear; possibility; chance there was no fear of difficulty
Etymology: ME fer < OE fær, lit., sudden attack, akin to OHG fāra, ambush, snare: for IE base see peril
transitive verb
- Obsolete to fill with fear; frighten
- to be afraid of; dread
- to feel reverence or awe for
- to expect with misgiving; suspect I fear I am late
intransitive verb
- to feel fear; be afraid
- to be uneasy, anxious, or doubtful
fear Idioms
for fear of
in order to avoid or prevent; lest
Fear definition
Fear (fir)
cape on an island off the SE coast of N.C.
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Comments
Improve this definition.
Browse dictionary definitions near fear
Share on Facebook