Fear, n.
Etymology: [OE. fer, feer, fere, AS. f a coming suddenly upon, fear, danger; akin to D. vaar, OHG. fara danger, G. gefahr, Icel. far harm, mischief, plague, and to E. fare, peril. See Fare.]
1. A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread.
Note: The degrees of this passion, beginning with the most moderate, may be thus expressed, -- apprehension, fear, dread, fright, terror. Fear is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. Locke. Where no hope is left, is left no fear. Milton.
2. (Script.) (a) Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God's wrath; the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme Belng. (b) Respectful reverence for men of authority or worth. I will put my fear in their hearts. Jer. xxxii. 40. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Ps. xxxiv. 11. render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due . . . fear to whom fear. Rom. xiii. 7.
3. That which causes, or which is the object of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger; dreadfulness. There were they in great fear, where no fear was. Ps. liii. 5. The fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. Shak. For fear, in apprehension lest. "For fear you ne'er see chain nor money more." Shak.
3 other Webster entries under this spelling
Fear, n.
A variant of Fere, a mate, a companion. [Obs.] Spenser.
Fear, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Feared; p. pr. & vb. n. Fearing.]
1. To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Ps. xxiii. 4.
Note: With subordinate clause. I greatly fear my money is not safe. Shak. I almost fear to quit your hand. D. Jerrold.
2. To have a reverential awe of; to solicitous to avoid the displeasure of. Leave them to God above; him serve and fear. Milton.
3. To be anxious or solicitous for. [R.] The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, therefore . . . I fear you. Shak.
4. To suspect; to doubt. [Obs.] Ay what else, fear you not her courage Shak.
5. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear. z2 fera their people from doing evil. Robynsin (More's utopia). Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs. Shak.
Syn. -- To apprehend; drad; reverence; venerate.
Fear, v. i.
To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil. I exceedingly fear and quake. Heb. xii. 21.
Shades of meaning
Fear is the generic term denoting an emotion excited by threatening evil with a desire to avoid or escape it; fear may be sudden or lingering, in view of present, of imminent, or of distant and only possible danger; in the latter sense dread is oftener used. Horror (etymologically a shivering or shuddering) denotes a shuddering fear accompanied with abhorrence or such a shock to the feelings and sensibilities as may exist without fear, as when one suddenly encounters some ghastly spectacle; we say of a desperate but fettered criminal, "I looked upon him with horror." Where horror includes fear, it is fear mingled with abhorrence. (See abhor.) Affright, fright, and terror are always sudden, and in actual presence of that which is terrible. Fear may overwhelm, or may nerve one to desperate defense; fright and terror render one incapable of defense; fear may be controlled by force of will; fright and terror overwhelm the will; terror paralyzes, fright may cause one to fly, to scream, or to swoon. Fright is largely a matter of the nerves; fear of the intellect and the imagination; terror of all the faculties, bodily and mental. Panic is a sudden fear or fright, affecting numbers at once; vast armies or crowded audiences are liable to panic upon slight occasion. In a like sense we speak of a financial panic. Dismay is a helpless sinking of heart in view of some overwhelming peril or sorrow. Dismay is more reflective, enduring, and despairing than fright; a horse is subject to fright or terror, but not to dismay. Awe is a reverential fear. Compare alarm.