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
This affect somehow suits our contemporary moment, in which many people are fearful of strangers, unwilling to invite others in, and tribally enthusiastic in their willingness to protect those most familiar.
—
Brett Berk, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Debates pitted organizers against administrators fearful of issues related to security, safety, cost and behavior by non-campus attendees.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
That dismissal is in part due to the patriarchal undermining of films that are largely written and directed by women; Song also stated that people are also fearful of examining their own relationship to the idea of love, which is at the (literal) heart of the rom-com genre.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 July 2025
Robinson's mother called police, fearful that her son would kill himself.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Brett Berk, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Debates pitted organizers against administrators fearful of issues related to security, safety, cost and behavior by non-campus attendees.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025
That dismissal is in part due to the patriarchal undermining of films that are largely written and directed by women; Song also stated that people are also fearful of examining their own relationship to the idea of love, which is at the (literal) heart of the rom-com genre.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 July 2025
Robinson's mother called police, fearful that her son would kill himself.
—Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearful
Adjective
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But a week later, what had been named the Dragon Bravo Fire hit a patch of fuel and took on a terrifying character in new gusts of wind, surrounding overwhelmed firefighters on a helipad and heading with unstoppable force to the south.—
Tom Zoellner,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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As global anxiety builds, Luna must face not just the predator in the desert but the terrifying possibility that humanity’s end is hurtling toward them from the stars.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Alexis Bittar has never been shy about shining a light on subjects those with a timid approach would avoid.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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But the timid reaction also underscored Europe’s bystander role, contrasting with its past approach on that topic.—
Garret Martin,
The Conversation,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Sports, especially intense ones like rafting, invoke our competitive spirit.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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The team observed laser emissions in two distinct wavelengths for all color regions of the feathers' eyespots, with the green color regions emitting the most intense laser light.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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If getting this set up on your own sounds daunting, don’t be afraid to ask for help, McCoy says.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
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Although Indiana has not experienced an immigration raid at this scale, community leaders shared that many in migrant communities are afraid that they may potentially be picked up off the street and deported, whether rightfully or not.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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One of the most effectively frightening gags in the movie is little more than an actor in ghoulish makeup tunneling under a bedsheet.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 July 2025
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And frightening, even to the leaders around Xi Jinping in Beijing.—
Kerry Brown,
Time,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The scary thing about Jefferson's injury is that he was also kept out of multiple games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Recognizing the attraction people have to scary films, the band hit on the novel idea to translate the morbid thrill of Grand Guignol to rock ‘n roll.—
Jim Farber,
Billboard,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Critics question whether a battery swap network—capital intensive, dependent on fleet adoption, and distributed across so many different markets—can scale profitably.—
Clay Chandler,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Not surprisingly, the woman being targeted by the scams was extremely frightened.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
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Many people may be intrinsically frightened of robots.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fearful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearful. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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