fearful

adjective
UK: /ˈfɪə.fəl/
US: /ˈfɪr.fəl/

  1. Feeling or showing fear; afraid.

    1. The little boy was fearful of the dark.
    2. She cast a fearful glance over her shoulder, sensing she was being followed.

  2. Causing fear; frightening.

    1. The fearful storm raged all night long.
    2. The haunted house on the hill had a fearful reputation among the locals.

  3. Very bad or unpleasant.

    1. The food was fearful, I couldn't eat it.
    2. The traffic was fearful this morning, I was late for work.

Synonyms

afraid scared frightened alarming dreadful awful
fearful adverb

  1. In a way that shows fear.

    1. He looked fearful as the dog approached.
    2. She glanced fearful around the dark alley, quickening her pace.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fearful" in English means: Feeling or showing fear; afraid., Causing fear; frightening., Very bad or unpleasant..

The phonetic transcription of "fearful" is /ˈfɪə.fəl/ in British English and /ˈfɪr.fəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "fearful": afraid, scared, frightened, alarming, dreadful, awful.

Example usage of "fearful": "The little boy was fearful of the dark.". More examples on the page.