fearful

adjective

fear·​ful ˈfir-fəl 

1

: causing or likely to cause fear, fright, or alarm especially because of dangerous quality

a fearful storm

2

a

: full of fear

fearful for his safety

b

: indicating or arising from fear

a fearful glance

c

: inclined to fear : timorous

3

: very great or bad

—used as an intensive

a fearful waste

fearful slum conditions

fearfully

ˈfir-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

fearfulness

ˈfir-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• alarming
• dire
• direful
• dread
• dreadful
• fearsome
• forbidding
• formidable
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• hair-raising
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrifying
• intimidating
• redoubtable
• scary
• shocking
• spine-chilling
• terrible
• terrifying

Choose the Right Synonym for fearful

fearful, apprehensive, afraid mean disturbed by fear.

fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament.

the child is fearful of loud noises

apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger.

apprehensive of being found out

afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance.

afraid to speak the truth

Examples of fearful in a Sentence

He plays the role of a timid and fearful clerk.

They won the war but at a fearful cost.

Recent Examples on the Web

Insiders expect a short-term funding bill that kicks the spending battle to early next year, although Republican senators are fearful that chaos in the House could derail Trump’s agenda. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024

Nguyen said that in the wake of this nationwide trend, the Asian community is fearful but is coming together and taking extra precautions to be safe. —Deena Zaru, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024

Anne Applebaum: The Syrian regime collapsed gradually—and then suddenly Still, Alawites are surely fearful of a future without the regime that purported to protect them. —Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024

The ideas expressed here enable us to enjoy life now without being overly fearful about our final years. —Steve Vernon, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English feerful, fereful "inspiring dread, frightened," from fer fear entry 1 + -ful -ful entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fearful

adjective

fear·​ful ˈfi(ə)r-fəl 

1

: causing fear

the fearful roar of a lion

2

: filled with fear

fearful of danger

3

: showing or caused by fear

a fearful glance

4

: extremely bad, large, or intense

fearful cold

fearfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

fearfulness noun