fear
gb/fˈɪɹ/ us/fˈɪɹ/
A2
English
~ 1800
félelem, fél, veszély, kockázat
NOUN
A2
1
félelem
A2
Usage pattern:
fear of [something]
She felt a sudden fear when she heard footsteps behind her.
Hirtelen félelem fogta el, amikor lépteket hallott maga mögött.
His biggest fear is speaking in front of large crowds.
A legnagyobb félelme az, hogy nagy tömeg előtt kell beszélnie.
The child cried out in fear when the dog barked.
Many people have a fear of flying.
He conquered his fear of heights after many lessons.
Learner examples
I have a fear of snakes.
Félek a kígyóktól.
Her fear is very strong.
Nagyon erős a félelme.
He has no fear of the dark.
They live in fear of war.
My brother has a fear of dogs.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fear' with 'afraid'. 'Fear' is a noun (or verb), while 'afraid' is an adjective.
Meaning
Unpleasant feeling of danger
Collocations
fear of failure
|face your fear
|deep fear
|fear for safety
|overcome fear
Synonyms
terror (Stronger and more intense, often implying extreme panic.)
|
anxiety (A more general feeling of worry, which may not be linked to a specific danger.)
Antonyms
courage (The ability to face danger or pain without fear.)
|
confidence (A feeling of certainty and self-assurance that reduces fear.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A bad feeling you have when you think you might be hurt or something bad might happen.
An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause harm, or a threat.
VERB
B1
2
fél
A1
Usage pattern:
to fear [something/that clause]
I fear that we may be too late.
Attól félek, hogy már elkéstünk.
She fears going out alone at night.
Fél egyedül kimenni éjszaka.
Many people feared the disease would spread quickly.
He feared for his job after the company announced cuts.
They feared he might be lost in the mountains.
Learner examples
I fear we are late.
Attól félek, hogy elkéstünk.
She fears the dark.
Fél a sötéttől.
They fear losing their home.
I fear it will rain tomorrow.
He fears dogs.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'fear' instead of more natural phrases like 'be afraid of' in casual speech.
Meaning
To feel afraid of something
Collocations
fear the worst
|fear for safety
|greatly fear
|fear death
Synonyms
dread (Implies strong fear mixed with intense dislike or reluctance about something in the future.)
|
worry (Weaker and more about mental concern than immediate danger.)
Antonyms
hope (To want something good to happen, the opposite emotional direction of fearing.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To feel worried or scared about something bad that might happen.
To feel afraid that someone or something is dangerous or that something bad will happen.
NOUN
B2
3
Usage pattern:
fear that [something will happen]
There is growing fear that the conflict will spread.
Egyre nagyobb a veszélye annak, hogy a konfliktus továbbterjed.
The fear of economic collapse kept investors cautious.
A gazdasági összeomlás kockázata óvatosságra intette a befektetőket.
Fear of retaliation prevented them from speaking out.
Learner examples
There is fear of war.
Fennáll a háború veszélye.
Fear of fire is common.
Gyakori a tűzveszély.
Fear of losing money is strong.
Meaning
Possibility of danger or harm
Collocations
fear of attack
|fear of loss
|real fear
Synonyms
threat (A source of possible harm; more concrete than 'fear'.)
Antonyms
security (The state of being safe from danger.)
Themes
emotions
|risk
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The chance that something bad might happen.
The possibility or likelihood that something bad or dangerous will happen; a cause for concern.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fear
IPA
GB/fˈɪɹ/
US/fˈɪɹ/
Syllables & stress
fear (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fear)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fear
- Plural: fear, fears
Verb
- Base: fear
- 3rd Person Singular: fears
- Present Participle: fearing
- Past: feared
Word family
Expressions
for fear of
1/fɚ fˈɪɹ əv/
fixed phrase
To avoid due to possible danger
Because you are worried something bad might happen if you do it.
Examples
- He left early for fear of missing the train.
- She spoke quietly for fear of waking the baby.
in fear of one's life
1/ˈɪn fˈɪɹ əv wˈʌnz lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
Believing one might die
Being very afraid because you think you might be killed.
Examples
- The hostage was in fear of his life during the standoff.
- She ran in fear of her life when she saw the fire.
no fear
1/nˈoʊ fˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
Strong refusal or rejection
Used to say you will not do something at all because you do not want to.
Examples
- No fear! I’m not jumping off that cliff.
- ‘Want to try skydiving?’ ‘No fear!’