FEARED Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

feared

verb

Definition of feared

past tense of fear

as in worried

to experience concern or anxiety her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her

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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.

Recent Examples of feared Traders feared that the nation, the second-largest economy in the euro zone, would be heading for a downgrade amid its surging borrowing costs. — Ananya Chetia,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026 According to the filing, Meta’s board feared that loss of control. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Many people were feared trapped as a tall building collapsed Friday in Kenya’s capital, leaving a huge mound of concrete and more than a dozen floors stacked like pancakes, with little space between them. — Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 That set off the massive investigation where detectives have linked seven missing women to the home — five of whom are feared to be dead. — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Maybe the Streep casting as Aslan won't be the distraction many feared. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The Otherworlds are just like the aes sidhe themselves, beautiful and beguiling and full of wondrous magic, but to be feared and avoided nonetheless. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026 For much of his life, speaking had been something Brown feared. — Bella Armstrong, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 In the immediate aftermath of Jose’s arrest, his family feared he would be quickly deported. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for feared

worried

Verb

The deal drew concern from legislators and delivery drivers, who worried about reduced competition.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Korpi wanted to leave the experiment because he wasn’t allowed to study for an upcoming graduate school admission test, and was getting worried about being unprepared.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of worried

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fear

feared

fearful

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“Feared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feared. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of feared

verb

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