fearful
Americanadjective
-
causing or apt to cause fear; frightening.
a fearful apparition.
-
feeling fear, dread, apprehension, or solicitude.
fearful for his life.
- Synonyms:
- worried, concerned, anxious, solicitous, distrustful, uneasy, apprehensive, timorous, timid, afraid
-
full of awe or reverence.
fearful of the Lord.
-
showing or caused by fear.
fearful behavior exhibited by dogs in the animal shelter.
-
extreme in size, intensity, or badness: fearful poverty.
a fearful head cold;
fearful poverty.
adjective
-
having fear; afraid
-
causing fear; frightening
-
informal very unpleasant or annoying
a fearful cold
Other Word Forms
- fearfully adverb
- fearfulness noun
- unfearful adjective
Etymology
Origin of fearful
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ferful(l); fear, -ful
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With investors already fearful about the more proximate risks posed by the hundreds of billions being spent on AI, this vision of the future spooked the markets further.
From Barron's
Related: ‘I am fearful’: My ailing relative is being forced into assisted living.
From MarketWatch
Investors have been fearful about software companies losing to competition during the AI era.
From Barron's
Investors have been fearful about software companies losing to competition during the AI era.
From Barron's
Colby said it is important for people to understand that fentanyl cannot be absorbed through contact, so that they are not fearful to intervene when witnessing an overdose.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
