WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
fear•less
(fēr′lis),USA pronunciation adj.
fear′less•ly, adv.
fear′less•ness, n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- without fear;
bold or brave;
intrepid.
- Middle English fereles. See fear, -less 1350–1400
fear′less•ness, n.
- See brave.
- cowardly.
fear /fɪr/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [not: be + ~-ing]
fear•less•ly, adv.
fear•less•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc.:[uncountable]shaking in fear.
- a specific instance of such a feeling:[countable]a fear of heights.
- concern or anxiety;
worry;
solicitude:[countable]a fear for someone's safety.
v. [not: be + ~-ing]
- to look at with fear;
be afraid of;
dread: [~ + object]She fears no one and nothing.[~ + verb-ing]to fear flying. - to have fear;
be afraid:[~ + for + object]feared for their safety. - to be worried or afraid:[~ + (that) clause]I fear that I'll fail the test.
- to have reverence of:[~ + object]to fear God.
fear•less•ly, adv.
fear•less•ness, n. [uncountable]
- See brave.
fear
(fēr),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
v.i.
Fear (fēr),USA pronunciation n.
- a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined;
the feeling or condition of being afraid. - a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling:an abnormal fear of heights.
- concern or anxiety;
solicitude:a fear for someone's safety. - reverential awe, esp. toward God.
- that which causes a feeling of being afraid;
that of which a person is afraid:Cancer is a common fear.
v.t.
- to regard with fear;
be afraid of. - to have reverential awe of.
- [Archaic.]to experience fear in (oneself ).
v.i.
- to have fear;
be afraid.
- bef. 900; Middle English fere, Old English fær sudden attack or danger; cognate with Old Saxon fār ambush, Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr danger, Old Norse fār disaster
- 1. apprehension, consternation, dismay, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation. Fear, alarm, dread all imply a painful emotion experienced when one is confronted by threatening danger or evil. Alarm implies an agitation of the feelings caused by awakening to imminent danger; it names a feeling of fright or panic:He started up in alarm.Fear and dread usually refer more to a condition or state than to an event. Fear is often applied to an attitude toward something, which, when experienced, will cause the sensation of fright:fear of falling.Dread suggests anticipation of something, usually a particular event, which, when experienced, will be disagreeable rather than frightening:She lives in dread of losing her money.The same is often true of fear, when used in a negative statement:She has no fear she'll lose her money. 6. apprehend, dread.
Fear (fēr),USA pronunciation n.
- Place Namesa river in SE North Carolina. 202 mi. (325 km) long.
- Place Names Cape, a cape at its mouth.
'fearless' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):