1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the fearful roar of a lion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
the stray cat that we took in is still fearful, even around us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the fearful wind and cold simply made being outside a miserable experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
fearful of venturing out onto the dark highway, the stranded motorist decided to wait in the car for help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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 fearful
Some might start obsessing over capturing them and eliminating the sound while others might become fearful.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The result is a work environment where people are distracted, stressed or even fearful of speaking their minds.
—Stephen Nalley, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
As election day approaches, South Floridians are praying for their preferred outcome, struggling to eat and sleep, consumed with dread, and even fearful of violence.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2024
Many of the condo residents who were evacuated from the complex, on Waldon Road between Joslyn and Baldwin roads, are fearful of returning, Barnett said.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fearful 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearful
Adjective
-
And as such, in Nosferatu, Eggers plunges us into his vision, to another dimension — an elegant yet terrifying world in which a monster stalks the dark of the unconscious, as both the evil within and the outward manifestation of some ancient lore.Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024
-
Bah added that the government is investigating the incident, and will offer more details at a later time. Witnesses at the event — which was a tournament in honor of Guinea's military leader Mamady Doumbouya — described a terrifying ordeal in which small children were seriously injured.Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Julia Roberts had a timid initial reaction to Leave the World Behind.Raven Brunner, People.com, 19 Nov. 2024
-
But, yes, there still is a timid approach from the perimeter.Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The warm front is a sharp contrast to the close of last week when an arctic surge swept across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with snow squalls, whiteouts and intense bursts of wind that left 20 million Americans under winter weather warnings or advisories.Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Becoming a professor requires years and years of intense study, often carried out in isolation and poverty.Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Don’t be afraid to make these fun since the rest of your outfit will be fairly simple.Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024
-
While children are often not afraid to try new things, adults do have a fear.Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
That Daniel Penny acted to defend others from a frightening figure on the train was of no legal relevance, from the prosecution’s point of view, given that Neely did not have a weapon or threaten a specific passenger directly.Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
-
However, Humbert decided to go it alone and ended up being the victim of quite a frightening shark attack.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
However, digging down into the detail revealed the really scary statistics: 154 million were listed as being authentication cookies, with 23.5 million still active, and 37 million listed as login cookies with 6.6 million active.Davey Winder, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
-
Something new is always going to register as scary in the brain before the brain gets comfortable with it.Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Trump’s transition team received briefings on the Lebanon ceasefire deal, which follows nearly 14 months of intensive rocket fire, airstrikes and an Israeli ground invasion into southern Lebanon.Juliann Ventura, The Hill, 30 Nov. 2024
-
The intensive public battle didn’t start until 1989, when Senna passed Prost at Imola during a restart, breaking what Prost believed to be a gentleman’s agreement.Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
His fervor to determine who took the weapon reveals a shockingly monstrous side, turning his wife and children into frightened suspects and leading to a jarring tonal-shift ending that proves to be a cathartic, believable final destination for a film simmering with mistrust and anger.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
-
At worst, this could lead to one or more Kent State-type incidents, with frightened Guardsmen in hostile, unfamiliar territory.Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near fearful
Cite this Entry
“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearful. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share