fear

I. fear¹ S3 W1 /fɪə $ fɪr/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑fear, ↑fearfulness ≠ ↑fearlessness; adjective: ↑fearful ≠ ↑fearless, ↑fearsome; verb: ↑fear; adverb: ↑fearfully ≠ ↑fearlessly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: fær 'sudden danger']
1. [uncountable and countable] the feeling you get when you are afraid or worried that something bad is going to happen
fear of
a fear of flying
fear that
There are fears that share prices could decrease still further.
fear for
The girl’s parents expressed fears for her safety.
in fear
The children looked at her in fear.
without fear
People must be able to express their views without fear of criticism.
2. for fear (that), for fear of something because you are worried that you will make something happen:
She finally ran away for fear that he would kill her.
for fear of doing something
He got to the station early, for fear of missing her.
3. no fear! British English informal used humorously to say that you are definitely not going to do something:
‘Are you going to Bill’s party tonight?’ ‘No fear!’
4. [uncountable] the possibility or danger that something bad might happen:
There’s no fear of revolt now.
5. put the fear of God into somebody informal to make someone feel that they must do something, by making sure they know what will happen if they do not do it:
The Italian manager must have put the fear of God into his team.
6. without fear or favour British English formal in a fair way:
The law must be enforced without fear or favour.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ sb’s worst/greatest fear Her worst fear was never seeing her children again.
▪ an irrational fear (=one that is not reasonable) He grew up with an irrational fear of insects.
▪ a deep-seated fear (=very strong and difficult to change) He exploited people’s deep-seated fears about strangers.
▪ groundless (=without any reason) As it turned out, these fears were groundless.
■ verbs
▪ conquer/overcome your fear (=stop being afraid) She managed to conquer her fear of flying.
▪ shake/tremble with fear He was shaking with fear after being held at gunpoint.
▪ show fear She was determined not to show fear.
▪ be gripped by fear (=be very afraid) We were gripped by fear as the boat was tossed around by the waves.
▪ be paralysed with fear (=be so afraid that you cannot move) Bruce was paralysed with fear when he saw the snake.
▪ confirm sb’s fears (=show that what you were afraid of has actually happened) The look on Colin’s face confirmed all my worst fears.
▪ ease/allay/dispel sb’s fears (=help someone stop being afraid) Frank eased my fears about not being able to speak the local language.
■ phrases
▪ be in fear of/for your life (=be afraid that you may be killed) Celia was in fear of her life when she saw the truck coming toward her.
▪ be full of fear The residents are too full of fear to leave their houses.
▪ be/live in fear of something (=be always afraid of something) They were constantly in fear of an enemy attack.
▪ have no fear of something He had no fear of death.
▪ sb’s hopes and fears We each had different hopes and fears about the trip.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say that someone 'has fear'. Say that someone is frightened or is afraid.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ fear a feeling of being frightened: He was trembling with fear. | Fear of failure should not stop you trying.
▪ terror a feeling of great fear, because you think that something terrible is about to happen: She let out a scream of pure terror.
▪ fright a sudden feeling of fear, or a situation that makes you feel this: My body was shaking with fright. | You gave me a fright! | He’s had a bit of fright, that’s all.
▪ panic a sudden feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensibly: She was in such a panic that she hardly knew what she was doing! | There were scenes of sheer panic immediately following the bomb blast.
▪ alarm a feeling of fear or worry which shows in your voice or behaviour, because you think something bad might happen: When I mentioned her name, he looked up at me in alarm. | The streets were calm and there was no sign of alarm.
▪ foreboding /fɔːˈbəʊdɪŋ $ fɔːrˈboʊ-/ a feeling that something bad or unpleasant might happen although there is no obvious reason why it should: She felt the same sense of foreboding she had before her father died.
▪ phobia /ˈfəʊbiə $ ˈfoʊ-/ a permanent strong unreasonable fear of something: I had a phobia about going to the dentist.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fear

fear [fear fears feared fearing] noun, verb [fɪə(r)] [fɪr]

noun uncountable, countable
the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when sth bad might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you
• Her eyes showed no fear.
• The child was shaking with fear.
• ~ (of sb/sth) (a) fear of the dark/spiders/flying, etc.
• We lived in constant fear of losing our jobs.
• ~ (for sb/sth) her fears for her son's safety
• Alan spoke of his fears for the future.
• ~ (that…) the fear that he had cancer
• The doctor's report confirmed our worst fears.
more at fools rush in (where angels fear to tread) at fool _n., strike fear etc. into sb/sb's heart at strike _v.
Word Origin:
Old English fǣr ‘calamity, danger’, fǣran ‘frighten’, also ‘revere’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gevaar and German Gefahr ‘danger’.
Thesaurus:
fear noun U, C
• The child was shaking with fear.
fright • • dread • • terror • • alarm • • panic • • phobia •
Opp: hope
a fear/dread/terror of sth
in fear/fright/dread/terror/alarm/panic
be filled with fear/dread/terror/alarm/panic
Fear or fright? Fright is a reaction to sth that is happening or has just happened. Use fear to talk about things that always frighten you and things that may happen in the future.:
• She cried out in fear/fright.
• I have a fear of spiders.
¤ I have a fright of spiders.
Synonyms:
fear
terror • panic • alarm • fright
These are all words for the bad feeling you have when you are afraid.
fear • the bad feeling that you have when you are in danger, when sth bad might happen, or when a particular thing frightens you: ▪ (a) fear of flying ◊ ▪ She showed no fear.
terror • a feeling of extreme fear: ▪ Her eyes were wild with terror.
panic • a sudden feeling of great fear that cannot be controlled and prevents you from thinking clearly: ▪ I had a sudden moment of panic.
alarm • fear or worry that sb feels when sth dangerous or unpleasant might happen: ▪ The doctor said there was ▪ no cause for alarm ▪.
fright • a feeling of fear, usually sudden: ▪ She cried out in fright.
fear or fright?
Fright is a reaction to sth that has just happened or is happening now. Use fear, but not fright, to talk about things that always frighten you and things that may happen in the future: I have a fright of spiders. ◊ his fright of what might happen
a fear/terror of sth
in fear/terror/panic/alarm/fright
fear/terror/panic/alarm that…
to be filled with fear/terror/panic/alarm
a feeling of fear/terror/panic/alarm
Example Bank:
• Doctors have voiced fears that we may be facing an epidemic.
• Fears are growing of a new oil embargo.
• He lied out of fear.
• He ran away in fear.
• His face was white with fear.
• It was the first time she had experienced real fear.
• My biggest fear was that my children would get sick.
• My worst fears were confirmed.
• Nobody refused for fear of being fired.
• Nobody refused for fear of losing their job.
• Our fears proved unfounded.
• Public fears about the disease increased.
• She did not know why she should feel such fear.
• She managed to overcome her fear.
• She stared at him without fear.
• The boy showed no fear.
• The government is anxious to allay the public's fears.
• The men hesitated in fear of whatever was to come next.
• The men set off in fear and trepidation.
• The people live in fear of attack by the bandits.
• The pupils obeyed through fear of punishment.
• The sound of gunfire struck fear into the hearts of the villagers.
• They have a terrible fear of failure.
• This incident has fuelled fears of a full-scale war.
• This stoked fears of financial difficulties.
• When she heard the news, some of her fear subsided.
• his fear about what might happen
• my fear for her safety
• new fears over terrorism
• the constant fear of discovery
• the fear that her mother had instilled in her
• the girl's childhood fear of being eaten by monsters
• the most primal fear, that of death
• (a) fear of the dark/spiders/flying
• He spoke of his fears for the future.
• I had to run away for fear that he might one day kill me.
• The child was shaking with fear.
• The doctor's report confirmed our worst fears.
Idioms: for fear of of doing something ▪ for fear … ▪ in fear of your life ▪ no fear ▪ put the fear of God into somebody ▪ without fear or favour

Derived: fear for somebody

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

fear / fɪə r / / fɪr / noun [ C or U ]

B1 an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen:

Trembling with fear, she handed over the money to the gunman.

Even when the waves grew big, the boy showed no (signs of) fear.

I have a fear of heights.

The low profit figures simply confirmed my worst fears.

[ + that ] There are fears that the disease will spread to other countries.

be in fear of your life to be frightened that you might be killed:

Lakisha sat inside, in fear of her life, until the police came.

be no fear of sth informal to be no possibility that a particular thing will happen:

Malcolm knows the city well, so there's no fear of us getting lost (= we will not get lost) .

for fear that/of sth C2 because you are worried that a particular thing might happen:

They wouldn't let their cat outside for fear (that) it would get run over.

I didn't want to move for fear of wak ing her up.

Word partners for fear noun

cause / fuel / raise / spark fears • express / voice your fears • allay / calm / ease (sb's) fears • heighten fears • overcome a fear • fears are growing / mounting • sth holds no fear for sb • sb's biggest / greatest / worst fear • fear of sth

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

fear

[fɪ͟ə(r)]
♦
fears, fearing, feared
1) N-VAR: oft N of n/-ing Fear is the unpleasant feeling you have when you think that you are in danger.
  I was sitting on the floor shivering with fear because a bullet had been fired through a window.
  ...boyhood memories of sickness and fear of the dark...
  London Zoo is running hypnosis programmes to help people overcome their fear of spiders.
  Syn:
  terror, dread
2) VERB If you fear someone or something, you are frightened because you think that they will harm you.
  [V n] It seems to me that if people fear you they respect you.
  Syn:
  be afraid of
3) N-VAR: with supp, oft N of n/-ing, N that A fear is a thought that something unpleasant might happen or might have happened.
  These youngsters are motivated not by a desire to achieve, but by fear of failure...
  Then one day his worst fears were confirmed...
  His fears might be groundless.
  ...the fear that once a war began it would soon pass beyond the ability of either side to manage it.
4) VERB If you fear something unpleasant or undesirable, you are worried that it might happen or might have happened.
  [V that] She had feared she was going down with pneumonia or bronchitis...
  [V n] More than two million refugees have fled the area, fearing attack by loyalist forces.
5) N-VAR: oft N that, N of n/-ing If you say that there is a fear that something unpleasant or undesirable will happen, you mean that you think it is possible or likely.
  There was no fear that anything would be misunderstood...
  There is a fear that the freeze on bank accounts could prove a lasting deterrent to investors.
  Syn:
  risk, chance
6) VERB If you fear for someone or something, you are very worried because you think that they might be in danger.
  [V for n] Carla fears for her son...
  [V for n] He fled on Friday, saying he feared for his life.
7) N-VAR: N for n If you have fears for someone or something, you are very worried because you think that they might be in danger.
  He also spoke of his fears for the future of his country's culture.
  ...fear for her own safety.
8) VERB If you fear to do something, you are afraid to do it or you do not wish to do it.
  [V to-inf] She pursed her lips together, as though fearing to betray her news...
  [V to-inf] Old people fear to leave their homes.
  Syn:
  be afraid
9) VERB You say that you fear that a situation is the case when the situation is unpleasant or undesirable, and when you want to express sympathy, sorrow, or regret about it. [FORMAL]
  [V that] I fear that a land war now looks very probable...
  [V so/not] `Is anything left at all?' - `I fear not.'
  Syn:
  regret
10) PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, usu v-link PHR, PHR after v If you are in fear of doing or experiencing something unpleasant or undesirable, you are very worried that you might have to do it or experience it.
  The elderly live in fear of assault and murder.
11) PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, PHR with cl If you take a particular course of action for fear of something, you take the action in order to prevent that thing happening.
  She was afraid to say anything to them for fear of hurting their feelings...
  No one dared shoot for fear of hitting Pete.
12) PHRASE: usu PHR with cl You say `fear not' or `never fear' to someone when you are telling them not to worry or be frightened. [OLD-FASHIONED]
  Fear not, Darlene will protect me...
  You'll get the right training, never fear.
  Syn:
  don't worry
13) CONVENTION (emphasis) You use `no fear' to emphasize that you do not want to do something. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
  When I asked him if he wanted to change his mind, William said `No fear.'
  Syn:
  not likely
14) PHRASE: V inflects If someone or something puts the fear of God into you, they frighten or worry you, often deliberately.
  At some time or other Eve had obviously put the fear of God into her.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹fear /ˈfiɚ/ noun, pl fears
1 : an unpleasant emotion caused by being aware of danger : a feeling of being afraid

[noncount]

• He was trembling with fear.
• an old story that still has the power to inspire fear [=to make people feel afraid]
• unable to walk the streets without fear of being mugged
• They regarded their enemies with fear and hatred/loathing.
• I've been trying to overcome my fear of flying.
• He won't say anything for fear of losing his job. [=because he is afraid of losing his job]
• She lived in fear of being caught. = She lived in fear that she would be caught. [=she was always afraid that she would be caught]
• They lived in (constant) fear of air raids during the war.
• an accident that struck fear into the hearts of [=frightened] skiers everywhere

[count]

• The doctor's diagnosis confirmed our worst fears.
• The government is trying to allay/alleviate/ease fears of a recession.
• Employees expressed fears that the company would go out of business.
• He told us about all his hopes and fears.
• She has a morbid fear of cats.
✦If you are in fear of your life or (US) in fear for your life, you are afraid of being killed.
• She claimed that she shot the burglar because she was in fear for her life.
2 [noncount] : a feeling of respect and wonder for something very powerful
• fear of God
✦To put the fear of God into someone is to frighten someone very badly.
• The bad economic news has put the fear of God into investors.
no fear Brit informal
- used in speech to say that there is no reason to be afraid or worried
• “Are you going to tell her the truth?” “No fear [=never fear, fear not], mate: she won't hear a thing from me!” synonyms fear, dread, alarm, and fright mean painful emotion felt because of danger. fear is the most general word and suggests a continuing emotional state.
• people living in fear of violent crimes dread suggests a strong feeling of not wanting to accept or deal with something bad or unpleasant.
• the dread felt by people awaiting bad news alarm may suggest a strong emotion caused by an unexpected or immediate danger.
• They view the worsening food shortage with alarm. fright suggests a feeling caused by something unexpected and often suggests a brief emotion.
• The creaking door gave them a fright.