fear

He was struck by fear on seeing the snake.

I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.

1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:

‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police[…]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?’

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

en:uncountable: unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger

(uncountable) A strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

Not everybody has the same fears. I have a fear of ants.

Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear whatever showing in her dark eyes. The clear light of the bright autumn morning had no terrors for youth and health like hers.

1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

(countable) A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone.

The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm CXI:10:

That sacred dread of all offence to him, which is called the Fear of God.

1846, [John Ruskin], Modern Painters […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, part III (Of Ideas of Beauty), section I (Of the Theoretic Faculty), page 121:

(uncountable) Terrified veneration or reverence, particularly towards God, gods, or sovereigns.

Her feeling of humiliation had intensified as the day had gone on and her hangover had worsened. She now also had 'the fear' to contend with, […]

2019, Ruth Kelly, The Little Vineyard in Provence:

He had the fear, that feeling of dread that you've done something really embarrassing. The fear was a hundred times worse than the hangover. No, a thousand times worse.

2020, Mark Ratcliffe, The Step Down: A Very Scottish Crime:

(UK, with definite article, "the fear") A feeling of dread and anxiety when waking after drinking a lot of alcohol, wondering what one did while drunk.

en-noun

fear (countable and uncountable, plural fears)

takot

uncountable: emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat

drojë

a phobia; sense of fear induced by something or someone

From Middle English feer, fere, fer, from Old English fǣr, ġefǣr (“calamity, sudden danger, peril, sudden attack, terrible sight”), from Proto-Germanic *fērō, *fērą (“danger”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to attempt, try, research, risk”). Cognate with Dutch gevaar (“danger, risk, peril”), German Gefahr (“danger, risk, hazard”), Swedish fara (“danger, risk, peril”), Latin perīculum (“danger, risk, trial”), Albanian frikë (“fear, danger”), Romanian frică. Doublet of peril.
The verb is from Middle English feren, from Old English fǣran (“to frighten, raven”), from the noun. Cognate with the archaic Dutch verb varen (“to fear; to cause fear”).


fear

I fear the worst will happen.

I greatly fear my money is not safe.

c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:28:

At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.

1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:

One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.

2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1:

(transitive) To be afraid of (something or someone); to consider or expect (something or someone) with alarm.

Never fear; help is always near.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 12:32:

She fears for her son’s safety.

(intransitive) To worry about, to feel concern for, to be afraid for [with for].

People who fear God can be found in Christian churches.

(transitive) To venerate; to feel awe towards.

I fear I have bad news for you: your husband has died.

Thenne the knyghte sayd to syre Gawayn / bynde thy wounde or thy blee chaunge / for thou bybledest al thy hors and thy fayre armes /[…]/ For who someuer is hurte with this blade he shalle neuer be staunched of bledynge / Thenne ansuerd gawayn hit greueth me but lytyl / thy grete wordes shalle not feare me ne lasse my courage

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book V:

Ythrild with deepe disdaine of his proud threat,
She shortly thus; Fly they, that need to fly;
Wordes fearen babes.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 448:

Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, till custom make it
Their perch and not their terror.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

(obsolete, transitive) To cause fear to; to frighten.

Fearst thou thy person? thou shalt haue a guard:

1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children: therefore, I promise ye, I fear you.

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:

(obsolete, transitive) To be anxious or solicitous for.

Fear you not her courage?

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:

(obsolete, transitive) To suspect; to doubt.

en-verb

fear (third-person singular simple present fears, present participle fearing, simple past and past participle feared)

fears (present singular third-person)
fearing (participle present)
feared (participle past)
feared (past)

belittle

antonym(s) of “venerate, to feel awe towards”

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

befara

of something being the case or coming to pass

خَافَ عَلَى

(used with for) to worry about, to feel concern for, to be afraid for


fear

hale and fear

(dialectal) Able; capable; stout; strong; sound.

en-adj

fear (comparative more fear, superlative most fear)

more fear (comparative)
most fear (superlative)
feer (alternative)

From Middle English fere, feore, from Old English fēre (“able to go, fit for service”), from Proto-Germanic *fōriz (“passable”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to put across, ferry”). Cognate with Scots fere, feir (“well, active, sound”), Middle High German gevüere (“able, capable, fit, serviceable”), Swedish för (“capable, able, stout”), Icelandic færr (“able”). Related to fare.


fear

Tá an fear ag ól uisce.

Sláinte chuig na fir agus go marfuire na mná go deo!

Health to the men and may the women live forever!

head

fear m (genitive singular fir, nominative plural fir)

fir (genitive singular)
fir (nominative plural)
fear (indefinite nominative singular)
fir (indefinite nominative plural)
a fhir (indefinite singular vocative)
a fheara (indefinite plural vocative)
fir (genitive indefinite singular)
fear (genitive indefinite plural)
fear (dative indefinite singular)
fir (dative indefinite plural)
an fear (definite nominative singular)
na fir (definite nominative plural)
an fhir (definite genitive singular)
na bhfear (definite genitive plural)
leis an bhfear (dative definite singular)
don fhear (dative definite singular)
leis na fir (dative definite plural)

From Old Irish fer, from Proto-Celtic *wiros, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós.
Cognate with Welsh gŵr, Breton gour, Cornish gour, Gaulish viros, Latin vir, Sanskrit वीर (vīra), Lithuanian výras, Avestan 𐬬𐬍𐬭𐬀 (vīra), and Old English wer.


fear

fear (present analytic fearann, future analytic fearfaidh, verbal noun fearadh, past participle feartha)

fearann (analytic present)
fearfaidh (analytic future)
fearadh (noun-from-verb)
feartha (participle past)
fearadh (noun-from-verb)
feartha (participle past)
fearaim (first-person indicative present singular)
fearann tú (indicative present second-person singular)
fearair (indicative present second-person singular)
fearann sé (indicative present singular third-person)
sí (indicative present singular third-person)
fearaimid (first-person indicative plural present)
fearann sibh (indicative plural present second-person)
fearann siad (indicative plural present third-person)
fearaid (indicative plural present third-person)
a fhearann (indicative present relative)
a fhearas (indicative present relative)
a bhfearann (indicative present relative)
feartar (autonomous indicative present)
d'fhear mé (first-person indicative past singular)
d'fhearas (first-person indicative past singular)
fhear mé‡ (first-person indicative past singular)
fhearas‡ (first-person indicative past singular)
d'fhear tú (indicative past second-person singular)
d'fhearais (indicative past second-person singular)
fhear tú (indicative past second-person singular)
fhearais‡ (indicative past second-person singular)
d'fhear sé (indicative past singular third-person)
sí (indicative past singular third-person)
fhear sé (indicative past singular third-person)
sí‡ (indicative past singular third-person)
d'fhearamar (first-person indicative past plural)
d'fhear muid (first-person indicative past plural)
fhearamar (first-person indicative past plural)
fhear muid‡ (first-person indicative past plural)
d'fhear sibh (indicative past plural second-person)
d'fhearabhair (indicative past plural second-person)
fhear sibh (indicative past plural second-person)
fhearabhair‡ (indicative past plural second-person)
d'fhear siad (indicative past plural third-person)
d'fhearadar (indicative past plural third-person)
fhear siad (indicative past plural third-person)
fhearadar‡ (indicative past plural third-person)
a d'fhear (indicative past relative)
ar fhear (indicative past relative)
fearadh (autonomous indicative past)
d'fhearainn (first-person habitual indicative past singular)
fhearainn‡ (first-person habitual indicative past singular)
bhfearainn‡‡ (first-person habitual indicative past singular)
d'fheartá (habitual indicative past second-person singular)
fheartá‡ (habitual indicative past second-person singular)
bhfeartá‡‡ (habitual indicative past second-person singular)
d'fhearadh sé (habitual indicative past singular third-person)
sí (habitual indicative past singular third-person)
fhearadh sé (habitual indicative past singular third-person)
sí‡ (habitual indicative past singular third-person)
bhfearadh sé (habitual indicative past singular third-person)
sí‡‡ (habitual indicative past singular third-person)
d'fhearaimis (first-person habitual indicative past plural)
d'fhearadh muid (first-person habitual indicative past plural)
fhearaimis (first-person habitual indicative past plural)
fhearadh muid‡ (first-person habitual indicative past plural)
bhfearaimis‡‡ (first-person habitual indicative past plural)
bhfearadh muid‡‡ (first-person habitual indicative past plural)
d'fhearadh sibh (habitual indicative past plural second-person)
fhearadh sibh‡ (habitual indicative past plural second-person)
bhfearadh sibh‡‡ (habitual indicative past plural second-person)
d'fhearaidís (habitual indicative past plural third-person)
d'fhearadh siad (habitual indicative past plural third-person)
fhearaidís (habitual indicative past plural third-person)
fhearadh siad‡ (habitual indicative past plural third-person)
bhfearaidís‡‡ (habitual indicative past plural third-person)
bhfearadh siad‡‡ (habitual indicative past plural third-person)
a d'fhearadh (habitual indicative past relative)
a bhfearadh (habitual indicative past relative)
d'fheartaí (autonomous habitual indicative past)
fheartaí‡ (autonomous habitual indicative past)
bhfeartaí‡‡ (autonomous habitual indicative past)
fearfaidh mé (first-person future indicative singular)
fearfad (first-person future indicative singular)
fearfaidh tú (future indicative second-person singular)
fearfair (future indicative second-person singular)
fearfaidh sé (future indicative singular third-person)
sí (future indicative singular third-person)
fearfaimid (first-person future indicative plural)
fearfaidh muid (first-person future indicative plural)
fearfaidh sibh (future indicative plural second-person)
fearfaidh siad (future indicative plural third-person)
fearfaid (future indicative plural third-person)
a fhearfaidh (future indicative relative)
a fhearfas (future indicative relative)
a bhfearfaidh (future indicative relative)
fearfar (autonomous future indicative)
d'fhearfainn (conditional first-person singular)
fhearfainn‡ (conditional first-person singular)
bhfearfainn‡‡ (conditional first-person singular)
d'fhearfá (conditional second-person singular)
fhearfá‡ (conditional second-person singular)
bhfearfá‡‡ (conditional second-person singular)
d'fhearfadh sé (conditional singular third-person)
sí (conditional singular third-person)
fhearfadh sé (conditional singular third-person)
sí‡ (conditional singular third-person)
bhfearfadh sé (conditional singular third-person)
sí‡‡ (conditional singular third-person)
d'fhearfaimis (conditional first-person plural)
d'fhearfadh muid (conditional first-person plural)
fhearfaimis‡ (conditional first-person plural)
fhearfadh muid‡ (conditional first-person plural)
bhfearfaimis‡‡ (conditional first-person plural)
bhfearfadh muid‡‡ (conditional first-person plural)
d'fhearfadh sibh (conditional plural second-person)
fhearfadh sibh‡ (conditional plural second-person)
bhfearfadh sibh‡‡ (conditional plural second-person)
d'fhearfaidís (conditional plural third-person)
d'fhearfadh siad (conditional plural third-person)
fhearfaidís‡ (conditional plural third-person)
fhearfadh siad‡ (conditional plural third-person)
bhfearfaidís‡‡ (conditional plural third-person)
bhfearfadh siad‡‡ (conditional plural third-person)
a d'fhearfadh (conditional relative)
a bhfearfadh (conditional relative)
d'fhearfaí (autonomous conditional)
fhearfaí‡ (autonomous conditional)
bhfearfaí‡‡ (autonomous conditional)
go bhfeara mé (first-person present singular subjunctive)
go bhfearad (first-person present singular subjunctive)
go bhfeara tú (present second-person singular subjunctive)
go bhfearair (present second-person singular subjunctive)
go bhfeara sé (present singular subjunctive third-person)
sí (present singular subjunctive third-person)
go bhfearaimid (first-person plural present subjunctive)
go bhfeara muid (first-person plural present subjunctive)
go bhfeara sibh (plural present second-person subjunctive)
go bhfeara siad (plural present subjunctive third-person)
go bhfearaid (plural present subjunctive third-person)
go bhfeartar (autonomous present subjunctive)
dá bhfearainn (first-person past singular subjunctive)
dá bhfeartá (past second-person singular subjunctive)
dá bhfearadh sé (past singular subjunctive third-person)
sí (past singular subjunctive third-person)
dá bhfearaimis (first-person past plural subjunctive)
dá bhfearadh muid (first-person past plural subjunctive)
dá bhfearadh sibh (past plural second-person subjunctive)
dá bhfearaidís (past plural subjunctive third-person)
dá bhfearadh siad (past plural subjunctive third-person)
dá bhfeartaí (autonomous past subjunctive)
fearaim (first-person imperative singular)
fear (imperative second-person singular)
fearadh sé (imperative singular third-person)
sí (imperative singular third-person)
fearaimis (first-person imperative plural)
fearaigí (imperative plural second-person)
fearaidh (imperative plural second-person)
fearaidís (imperative plural third-person)
feartar (autonomous imperative)
fear
fhear
bhfear

From Middle Irish feraid, from Old Irish feraid.


fear

fear (third-person singular simple present fears, present participle fearin, simple past feart, past participle feart)

fears (present singular third-person)
fearin (participle present)
feart (past)
feart (participle past)


fear

fear m (genitive singular fir, plural fir)

fir (genitive singular)
fir (plural)
fear (indefinite nominative singular)
fir (indefinite nominative plural)
fir (genitive indefinite singular)
fhear (genitive indefinite plural)
fear (dative indefinite singular)
fir (dative indefinite plural)
fearaibh (dative indefinite plural)
fear (definite nominative singular)
am fear (definite nominative singular)
fir (definite nominative plural)
na fir (definite nominative plural)
fhir (definite genitive singular)
an fhir (definite genitive singular)
fear (definite genitive plural)
nam fear (definite genitive plural)
fhear (dative definite singular)
an fhear (dative definite singular)
fir (dative definite plural)
na fir (dative definite plural)
fearaibh (dative definite plural)
fhir (definite singular vocative)
fheara (definite plural vocative)

Inherited from Old Irish fer, from Proto-Celtic *wiros, from Proto-Indo-European *wiHrós.


fear

fear c (plural fearren, diminutive fearke)

From Old Frisian fethere, from Proto-West Germanic *feþru, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥.
Cognate with English feather, Greek φτερό (fteró, “wing, feather”), Latin penna (“wing, feather”) and Irish éan (“bird”).


fear

From Proto-Germanic *farjǭ. Cognate with Dutch veer, English ferry.


fear

From Old Frisian *farn, from Proto-West Germanic *farn.


fear

fear (adverbial positive predicative)
feare (common-gender indefinite positive singular)
fear (indefinite neuter positive singular)
feare (indefinite plural positive)
feare (definite positive)
fears (partitive positive)

From Old Frisian *farch, from Proto-West Germanic *farh. Cognate with English farrow.