fearful
gb/fˈɪɹfəl/ us/fˈɪɹfəl/
B1
English
~ 2900
fél, ijedt, félelmetes, ijesztő, rémisztő, rettenetes, borzasztó, szörnyű
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is fearful of [something]
She was fearful of walking alone at night.
Félt éjszaka egyedül sétálni.
He gave me a fearful glance before speaking.
Beszéd előtt ijedt pillantást vetett rám.
The villagers were fearful that the storm would destroy their homes.
Children can be fearful when starting a new school.
I felt fearful as I entered the dark cave.
Learner examples
I am fearful of big dogs.
Félek a nagy kutyáktól.
She looks fearful in the dark room.
Ijedtnek tűnik a sötét szobában.
He is fearful about the test tomorrow.
They are fearful of losing their jobs.
My little sister is fearful when she hears thunder.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fearful' with 'fearsome'. 'Fearful' means feeling fear, while 'fearsome' means causing fear in others.
Meaning
afraid or anxious
Collocations
fearful expression
|fearful eyes
|fearful of change
|fearful situation
|look fearful
Synonyms
afraid (Common and direct word for feeling fear; slightly less formal than 'fearful'.)
|
scared (Informal and more commonly used in everyday speech than 'fearful'.)
Antonyms
confident (Shows certainty and lack of fear in facing a situation.)
|
fearless (Completely without fear; opposite emotional state.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Feeling afraid or worried about something bad that might happen.
Experiencing or showing fear; feeling afraid or worried about something that may happen.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
a fearful [thing/event/situation]
They faced a fearful challenge in climbing the icy mountain.
Félelmetes kihívással néztek szembe, amikor megmászták a jeges hegyet.
The soldiers spoke of a fearful battle.
A katonák egy félelmetes csatáról beszéltek.
A fearful noise came from the basement.
We saw a fearful accident on the highway.
The fearful storm kept everyone indoors.
Learner examples
It was a fearful storm last night.
Félelmetes vihar volt tegnap este.
The movie showed a fearful monster.
A filmben egy ijesztő szörnyet mutattak.
We heard a fearful sound outside.
The fearful fire spread quickly.
She told us a fearful story about the war.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'fearsome', which more strongly emphasizes being intimidating or dangerous.
Meaning
frightening or alarming
Collocations
fearful noise
|fearful sight
|fearful storm
|fearful accident
Synonyms
frightening (Directly causes fear; very common in modern English.)
|
terrifying (Stronger and more intense than 'fearful' in this sense.)
Antonyms
comforting (Gives reassurance rather than causing fear.)
|
reassuring (Makes someone feel safe instead of afraid.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Making people feel afraid.
Causing fear or dread; frightening in nature.
C1
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
a fearful [amount/problem/mistake]
The project turned into a fearful waste of time and money.
A projekt rettenetes idő- és pénzpocsékolássá vált.
They made a fearful mistake in ignoring the warning signs.
Rettenetes hibát követtek el, amikor figyelmen kívül hagyták a figyelmeztető jeleket.
There was a fearful mess after the party.
She has a fearful temper when angered.
Learner examples
It was a fearful waste of money.
Rettenetes pénzpocsékolás volt.
He made a fearful mistake at work.
Szörnyű hibát követett el a munkahelyén.
The storm made a fearful mess in the garden.
They had a fearful fight last night.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this use is literary and less common in everyday speech.
Meaning
very bad or extreme (literary)
Collocations
fearful mess
|fearful mistake
|fearful noise
Synonyms
terrible (Common everyday equivalent; less literary than 'fearful'.)
|
dreadful (Similar formal/literary tone and strong negative meaning.)
Antonyms
wonderful (Positive extreme instead of negative extreme.)
|
excellent (High quality rather than very bad.)
Themes
literary
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very big or very bad, used to make something sound strong or serious.
Very great in extent, intensity, or seriousness, often used for emphasis in a negative or dramatic way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fearful
IPA
GB/fˈɪɹfəl/
US/fˈɪɹfəl/
Syllables & stress
fear - ful (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fear)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: fearful
Word family
Expressions
fearful for one's life
1/fˈɪɹfəl fɚ wˈʌnz lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
afraid you might die or be harmed
Feeling afraid that you might be killed or badly hurt.
Examples
- She was trapped under the rubble, fearful for her life.
- The hikers were lost in the snow and became fearful for their lives.
fearful of the consequences
1/fˈɪɹfəl əv ðə kˈɑnsəkwˌɛnsɪz/
fixed phrase
afraid of what might happen next
Afraid about what might happen because of something that was done or will happen.
Examples
- He stayed silent, fearful of the consequences of speaking out.
- She refused to act, fearful of the consequences.