1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the fearful roar of a lion
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2
as in timid
easily frightened
the stray cat that we took in is still fearful, even around us
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3
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the fearful wind and cold simply made being outside a miserable experience
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fearful
The sweet girl who loved her teacher and played with Barbies is now fearful and withdrawn, talking often about her weeks in Texas and the workers who watched over her.
—
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Berlin has fewer wealthy residents than Munich or Düsseldorf, and many of its homegrown brands remain small, leaving founders fearful of the rising costs of operating a store.
—Maliha Shoaib, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
Decades ago, Shorthouse made the fearful walk along the catwalk with former broadcast partner Tom Larscheid and would not let go of him.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
But the forklift operator and his family members — all citizens or legal residents — are fearful they could be swept up by immigration officers who are racially profiling people.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Berlin has fewer wealthy residents than Munich or Düsseldorf, and many of its homegrown brands remain small, leaving founders fearful of the rising costs of operating a store.
—Maliha Shoaib, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
Decades ago, Shorthouse made the fearful walk along the catwalk with former broadcast partner Tom Larscheid and would not let go of him.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
But the forklift operator and his family members — all citizens or legal residents — are fearful they could be swept up by immigration officers who are racially profiling people.
—Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearful
Adjective
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After reviewing footage from monitoring cameras set up in the child’s room, the father, who has not been publicly identified, saw a terrifying incident of violence against his son, which had taken place two days earlier, according to authorities.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Many mothers in the Twin Cities marched the streets in the wake of the murders and terrifying kidnappings by ICE, and many mothers organized in other ways, moving food and money to food shelves, families sheltering-in-place, and rent relief funds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Harry Melling stars as a timid man who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Skarsgård) takes him on as his submissive.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
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The siblings have different personalities, according to their keepers; Xiao Xiao is timid while his sister Lei Lei is fearless and adapts to changes quickly.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Many Olympians—Nordic skiers, for instance—pay a lot of attention to a measure called their VO2 max—the highest volume of oxygen your body can consume and use during a minute of intense exercise.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
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Valentine’s Day in a first teen relationship should feel simple, sweet, and age-appropriate, not intense or pressured.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What happens to the funding for buses and light rail when people are afraid to ride them, and no one buys bus tickets?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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Too Much Wall Art Wall art is a great way to make a space feel more complete, but don't be afraid to leave some blank space here and there.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
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In 2017 Dikansh Parmar of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Germany, rescued an Indian cobra (Naja naja) coiled around a train’s window bars that was hissing and, understandably, frightening passengers.—
Richard Kemeny,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Members provide intensive mentoring, conflict mediation, case management, and connections to job training and mental health services to people at the highest risk of being involved in gun violence.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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But, for those looking for a slightly less intensive experience, the semi-serious murder party—which tends to take place, and to wrap up, during one dinner—has come roaring back in popularity.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And so if this gets replicated, if there’s a spreading of feelings of fear, the most vulnerable people will be frightened to turn out.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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Both release a strong spray, or musk, when frightened.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The scariest jump in ice skating requires your shoulders, hips, knees and feet to be in perfect alignment.—
Kelly O'Grady,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Range anxiety never sounded so scary.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearful. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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