fear

fear

See also: Fear, féar, and fear-

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English feer, fere, fer (“fear”), 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 go through, carry forth, try”). Cognate with Dutch gevaar (“danger, risk, peril”), German Gefahr (“danger, hazard, risk”), Danish fare (“danger, hazard, risk”), Faroese and Icelandic fár (“accident, anger, calamity”), Norwegian fare (“danger”), Swedish fara (“danger, risk, peril”), Latin perīculum (“danger, risk, trial”), Ancient Greek πεῖρα (peîra, “trial, experiment”), Armenian փորձ (pʻorj, “attempt”). 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”).

Noun

fear (countable and uncountable, plural fears)

  2. (uncountable) A strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fear
    He was struck by fear on seeing the snake.
    • 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:
      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.
    • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      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.
    • 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:
      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.
  3. (countable) A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone in particular.
    Not everybody has the same fears.
    I have a fear of ants.
  4. (countable) Something one is afraid of; the object of one’s fear.
    Spiders are my greatest fear.
  5. (uncountable) Terrified veneration or reverence, particularly towards God, gods, or sovereigns.
    Synonym: dread
  6. (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.
    Synonym: hangxiety
    • 2019, Ruth Kelly, The Little Vineyard in Provence:
      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, […]
    • 2020, Mark Ratcliffe, The Step Down: A Very Scottish Crime:
      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.
Derived terms
Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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

  2. (transitive) To be afraid of (something or someone); to consider or expect (something or someone) with alarm.
    I fear the worst will happen.
    • 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]:
      I greatly fear my money is not safe.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:28:
      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.
    • 1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
      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.
    • 2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1:
      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.
  3. (intransitive) To feel fear.
    Never fear; help is always near.
  5. (intransitive) To worry about, to feel concern for, to be afraid for [with for].
    She fears for her son’s safety.
  6. (transitive) To venerate; to feel awe towards.
    People who fear God can be found in Christian churches.
  7. (transitive) To regret.
    I fear I have bad news for you: your husband has died.
  8. (obsolete, transitive) To cause fear to; to frighten.
  9. (obsolete, transitive) To be anxious or solicitous for.
  10. (obsolete, transitive) To suspect; to doubt.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

    From Middle English fere, feore, from Old English fēre (“able to go, fit for service”), from Proto-Germanic *fēriz (“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 fær (“able”). Related to fare.

    Adjective

    fear (comparative more fear, superlative most fear)

    1. (dialectal) Able; capable; stout; strong; sound.
      hale and fear
    Alternative forms

    Anagrams

    Irish

    Pronunciation

    Etymology 1

      From Old Irish fer,[5] 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.

      Noun

      fear m (genitive singular fir, nominative plural fir)

      1. man (adult male)
        Tá an fear ag ól uisce.
        The man is drinking water.
        Sláinte chuig na fir agus go marfuire na mná go deo!
        Health to the men and may the women live forever!
      2. husband, male spouse
      Declension
      Declension of fear (first declension)
      bare forms
      singular plural
      nominative fear fir
      vocative a fhir a fheara
      genitive fir fear
      dative fear fir
      fearaibh (archaic)
      forms with the definite article
      singular plural
      nominative an fear na fir
      genitive an fhir na bhfear
      dative leis an bhfear
      don fhear       		leis na fir
      Derived terms

      Etymology 2

      From Middle Irish feraid, from Old Irish feraid.[6]

      Verb

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

      1. to shed (a liquid)
      2. to excrete
      Conjugation
      Conjugation of fear (first conjugation – A)
      indicative singular plural direct relative autonomous
      first second third first second third
      present fearaim fearann tú;
      fearair†       		fearann sé, sí fearaimid; fearann muid fearann sibh fearann siad;
      fearaid†       		a fhearann; a fhearas feartar
      past d'fhear mé; d'fhearas /
      fhear mé‡; fhearas‡       		d'fhear tú; d'fhearais /
      fhear tú‡; fhearais‡       		d'fhear sé, sí /
      fhear sé, sí‡       		d'fhearamar; d'fhear muid /
      fhearamar‡; fhear muid‡       		d'fhear sibh; d'fhearabhair /
      fhear sibh‡;
      fhearabhair‡       		d'fhear siad; d'fhearadar /
      fhear siad‡; fhearadar‡       		a d'fhear fearadh
      past habitual d'fhearainn /
      fearainn‡       		d'fheartá /
      feartᇠ      		d'fhearadh sé, sí /
      fearadh sé, sí‡       		d'fhearaimis; d'fhearadh muid /
      fearaimis‡; fearadh muid‡       		d'fhearadh sibh /
      fearadh sibh‡       		d'fhearaidís; d'fhearadh siad /
      fearaidís‡; fearadh siad‡       		a d'fhearadh d'fheartaí /
      feartaí‡
      singular plural direct relative autonomous
      first second third first second third
      future fearfaidh mé;
      fearfad       		fearfaidh tú;
      fearfair†       		fearfaidh sé, sí fearfaimid;
      fearfaidh muid       		fearfaidh sibh fearfaidh siad;
      fearfaid†       		a fhearfaidh; a fhearfas fearfar
      conditional d'fhearfainn /
      fearfainn‡       		d'fhearfá /
      fearfᇠ      		d'fhearfadh sé, sí /
      fearfadh sé, sí‡       		d'fhearfaimis; d'fhearfadh muid /
      fearfaimis‡; fearfadh muid‡       		d'fhearfadh sibh /
      fearfadh sibh‡       		d'fhearfaidís; d'fhearfadh siad /
      fearfaidís‡; fearfadh siad‡       		a d'fhearfadh d'fhearfaí /
      fearfaí‡
      subjunctive singular plural direct relative autonomous
      first second third first second third
      present go bhfeara mé;
      go bhfearad†       		go bhfeara tú;
      go bhfearair†       		go bhfeara sé, sí go bhfearaimid;
      go bhfeara muid       		go bhfeara sibh go bhfeara siad;
      go bhfearaid†       		— go bhfeartar
      past dá bhfearainn dá bhfeartá dá bhfearadh sé, sí dá bhfearaimis;
      dá bhfearadh muid       		dá bhfearadh sibh dá bhfearaidís;
      dá bhfearadh siad       		— dá bhfeartaí
      imperative singular plural direct relative autonomous
      first second third first second third
      — fearaim fear fearadh sé, sí fearaimis fearaigí;
      fearaidh†       		fearaidís — feartar
      past participle feartha
      verbal noun fearadh

      † archaic or dialect form
      ‡ dependent form

      Mutation

      Mutated forms of fear
      radical lenition eclipsis
      fear fhear bhfear

      Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
      All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

      References

      1. ^ Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931), Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, § 57, page 30
      2. ^ Finck, F. N. (1899), Die araner mundart [The Aran Dialect] (in German), Zweiter Band: Wörterbuch [Second volume: Dictionary], Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 106
      3. ^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906), A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, § 269, page 95
      4. ^ de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1977), Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht [The Irish of Cois Fharraige: Accidence] (in Irish), 2nd edition, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath [Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies], section 5, page 3
      5. ^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 fer”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
      6. ^ Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “feraid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

      Further reading

      • Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “fear”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
      • de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “fear”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
      • “fear”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

      Scots

      Noun

      fear (plural fears)

      1. fear

      Verb

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

      1. to fear
      2. to frighten, scare

      Scottish Gaelic

      Etymology

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

        Pronunciation

        Noun

        fear m (genitive singular fir, plural fir)

        1. man
        2. husband, male spouse

        Declension

        Declension of fear (type I masculine noun)
        indefinite
        singular plural
        nominative fear fir
        genitive fir fhear
        dative fear fir; fearaibh1
        definite
        singular plural
        nominative (am) fear (na) fir
        genitive (an) fhir (nam) fear
        dative (an) fhear (na) fir; fearaibh1
        vocative fhir fheara; fhearaibh

        1 archaic or poetic form

        Derived terms

        Pronoun

        fear (genitive fir)

        1. somebody, something, one

        Usage notes

        Derived terms

        See also

        Mutation

        Mutation of fear
        radical lenition
        fear fhear

        Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
        All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

        References

        1. ^ Oftedal, M. (1956), A linguistic survey of the Gaelic dialects of Scotland, Vol. III: The Gaelic of Leurbost, Isle of Lewis, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
        2. ^ Mac Gill-Fhinnein, Gordon (1966), Gàidhlig Uidhist a Deas, Dublin: Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath
        3. ^ Wentworth, Roy (2003), Gaelic Words and Phrases From Wester Ross / Faclan is Abairtean à Ros an Iar, Inverness: CLÀR, →ISBN, page 437
        4. ^ Borgstrøm, Carl Hj. (1937), The dialect of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap
        5. ^ Borgstrøm, Carl Hj. (1940), A linguistic survey of the Gaelic dialects of Scotland, Vol. I: The dialects of the Outer Hebrides, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap, pages 27, 188
        6. ^ Borgstrøm, Carl Hj. (1941), A linguistic survey of the Gaelic dialects of Scotland, Vol. II: The dialects of Skye and Ross-shire, Oslo: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap, pages 12, 114

        Further reading

        West Frisian

        Pronunciation

        • IPA(key): /ˈfɪə̯r/

        Etymology 1

        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”).

        Noun

        fear c (plural fearren, diminutive fearke)

        1. feather
        2. spring (mechanical device)
        Further reading
        • “fear (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

        Etymology 2

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

        Noun

        fear n (plural fearen)

        1. ferry
        Further reading
        • “fear (II)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

        Etymology 3

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

        Noun

        fear c (plural fearen)

        1. fern
        Further reading
        • “fear (III)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

        Etymology 4

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

        Adjective

        fear

        1. farrow
        Inflection
        Inflection of fear
        uninflected fear
        inflected feare
        comparative —
        positive
        predicative/adverbial fear
        indefinite c. sing. feare
        n. sing. fear
        plural feare
        definite feare
        partitive fears
        Further reading
        • “fear (V)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
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