fearful

[feer-fuhl]

adjective

1. causing or apt to cause fear; frightening.

   a fearful apparition.

2. feeling fear, dread, apprehension, or solicitude.

   fearful for his life.

   Synonyms: worried, concerned, anxious, solicitous, distrustful, uneasy, apprehensive, timorous, timid, afraid

3. full of awe or reverence.

   fearful of the Lord.

4. showing or caused by fear.

   fearful behavior exhibited by dogs in the animal shelter.

5. extreme in size, intensity, or badness: fearful poverty.

   a fearful head cold;

   fearful poverty.

fearful

/ ˈfɪəfʊl /

adjective

1. having fear; afraid

2. causing fear; frightening

3. informal,  very unpleasant or annoying

   a fearful cold

Other Word Forms

• fearfully adverb
• fearfulness noun
• unfearful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fearful¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ferful(l); fear, -ful

Example Sentences

The judge who called the Supreme Court’s actions “inexcusable” reported threats of violence in the past, and is now fearful for his life.

From Salon

Amid that beauty is a workforce that is frustrated and fearful.

From Los Angeles Times

The result is that the people become, if not accustomed to masked agents and the military on our streets, too scared to protest it, fearful they will become the criminal target, the hunted animal.

From Los Angeles Times

Moldova has been a firm supporter of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, fearful that its own land was also in Putin's sights.

From BBC

Longoria’s son is fearful that the same thing could happen again, the attorney said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afraid 
• agitated 
• anxious 
• frightened 
• hesitant 
• jittery 
• nervous 
• panicky www.thesaurus.com
• scared 
• shy 
• skittish 
• tense 
• timid 
• uneasy