How to Use fearful in a Sentence

fearful

adjective
  • He plays the role of a timid and fearful clerk.
  • They won the war but at a fearful cost.
  • And some of them were very fearful.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Avoidant and fearful-avoidant styles have been on the rise.
    — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
  • While the word ‘cut’ may be scary for some, there’s no need to be fearful.
    — Danielle Wright, Essence, 15 Dec. 2022
  • In major cities, phone users are fearful to use them on the street.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • Be less fearful and more focused.
    — Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Since then, he's been sad, he's been angry and he's been fearful.
    — Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, 6 Sep. 2022
  • There's a part of her that's, like, fearful and thinks this could be real.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2022
  • Helen’s death makes Zoe fearful for her life.
    — Sam Reed, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Some may withdraw from people and seem shy and fearful.
    — Dr. Andrew Garner, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
  • But investors are fearful that there are more dominoes to fall.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 11 May 2023
  • But shows with loud sounds or human conflict could stress out a fearful dog.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2025
  • Some fearful of damage to their boats opted to ride out the surge in the open sea.
    — Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2022
  • The most excited about and the most fearful for.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026
  • Many investors remain fearful that the worst isn’t yet over for stocks this year.
    — Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022
  • Junk old beliefs that keep you weak, angry, or fearful.
    — Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • When startled or fearful, your cat might freeze in place and hunker low to the ground.
    — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 8 July 2024
  • The detainee’s spouse was afraid to come in, fearful that they would be detained as well.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Liz, his wife, is much more fearful of Still’s future years in terms of his health.
    — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2025
  • She was asked to shoot the scene over and over but, fearful of upsetting her, no one told her why.
    — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 11 Sep. 2024
  • The upside cannot be seen with fearful emotions clouding the view.
    — Mike Gould, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2023
  • Sawant said being fearful of lawsuits is not the way to effect progress or change.
    — Deepa Bharath, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2023
  • Due to their size and color, many people are fearful of these spiders.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Due to their size and color scheme, many people are fearful of these spiders.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Grieving for what’s already been lost, and fearful of the losses to come.
    — Katharine Wilkinson, Time, 3 Nov. 2021
  • This is a fearful market, though, and these loan packages are now viewed as being weak.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Tiki’s story shows that with love and patience, even the most fearful dogs can thrive.
    — Jordan Greene, People.com, 12 June 2025
  • His mother, fearful for her youngest son, pleaded with him to flee the country.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
  • Does your child feel comfortable or fearful about being home alone?
    — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 21 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fearful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: