Definition of fearful Fearful

/fɪˈɹfʌl/ - [firful] - fear•ful

We found 16 definitions of fearful from 5 different sources.

What does fearful mean?

WordNet

Adjective fearful, fearfuller, fearfullest
fearful - timid by nature or revealing timidity; "timorous little mouse"; "in a timorous tone"; "cast fearful glances at the large dog"
		timorous, trepid
		timid showing fear and lack of confidence
fearful - experiencing or showing fear; "a fearful glance"; "fearful of criticism"
		afraid filled with fear or apprehension; "afraid even to turn his head"; "suddenly looked afraid"; "afraid for his life"; "afraid of snakes"; "afraid to ask questions"
fearful - extremely distressing; "fearful slum conditions"; "a frightful mistake"
		frightful
		bad feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad'); "my throat feels bad"; "she felt bad all over"; "he was feeling tough after a restless night"
fearful - lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted; "cowardly dogs, ye will not aid me then"- P.B.Shelley
		cowardly
		courageous, brave possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching; "Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver but less daring"- Herman Melville; "a frank courageous heart...triumphed over pain"- William Wordsworth; "set a courageous example by leading them safely into and out of enemy-held territory"
		afraid filled with fear or apprehension; "afraid even to turn his head"; "suddenly looked afraid"; "afraid for his life"; "afraid of snakes"; "afraid to ask questions"
		ignoble completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose; "something cowardly and ignoble in his attitude"; "I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part"- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
		timid showing fear and lack of confidence
		cowardice, cowardliness the trait of lacking courage
		caitiff despicably mean and cowardly
		chicken, chickenhearted, lily-livered, white-livered, yellow-bellied, yellow easily frightened
		craven, recreant lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful; "the craven fellow turned and ran"; "a craven proposal to raise the white flag"; "this recreant knight"- Spenser
		dastard, dastardly despicably cowardly; "the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on...December 7th"- F.D. Roosevelt
		faint-hearted, fainthearted, timid, faint showing fear and lack of confidence
		funky in a state of cowardly fright
		poltroon characterized by complete cowardliness
fearful - causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse"
		awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible
		alarming frightening because of an awareness of danger

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Wiktionary

fearful (Adjective)
Frightening.
fearful (Adjective)
Frightened, filled with terror.
fearful (Adjective)
Terrible.
fearful (Adjective)
Tending to fear.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

fearful (a.)
Full of fear, apprehension, or alarm; afraid; frightened.
fearful (a.)
inclined to fear; easily frightened; without courage; timid.
fearful (a.)
Indicating, or caused by, fear.
fearful (a.)
Inspiring fear or awe; exciting apprehension or terror; terrible; frightful; dreadful.