fearful

1 of 2

adjective

fear·​ful ˈfir-fəl How to pronounce fearful (audio)
Synonyms of fearfulnext
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 their 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 How to pronounce fearful (audio)
adverb
fearfulness
ˈfir-fəl-nəs How to pronounce fearful (audio)
noun

fearfulness

2 of 2

noun

fear·​ful·​ness -fəlnə̇s How to pronounce fearfulness (audio)
plural -es
1
: the quality or state of being afraid : timidity
2
: the quality of causing fear or awe : dreadfulness

Synonyms of fearful

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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

Adjective He plays the role of a timid and fearful clerk. They won the war but at a fearful cost.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
But when so much remains uncertain about how AI will impact our future, many remain fearful about how AI will change our relationship to humanity, to each other. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026 West says patients in pain can become fearful of movement, which can lead to stiffness and weakness. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 26 Oct. 2026 They are fed up with the world's rebuke over the Gaza war, but also fearful of their growing global isolation. — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 Jackson has talked about growing up fearful his family would run out of heat. — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fearful

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fearful was in the 14th century

Rhymes for fearful

See All Rhymes for fearful

Browse Nearby Words

fear for one's/someone's life
fearful
fearfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fearful. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

fearful

adjective
fear·​ful ˈfi(ə)r-fəl How to pronounce fearful (audio)
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 How to pronounce fearful (audio)
adverb
fearfulness noun
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