fearful
gb/fˈɪɹfəl/ us/fˈɪɹfəl/
B1
Inglés
~ 2900
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
B1
state
1
afraid or anxious
Feeling afraid or worried about something bad that might happen.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is fearful of [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fearful' with 'fearsome'. 'Fearful' means feeling fear, while 'fearsome' means causing fear in others.
Sinónimos
afraid (Common and direct word for feeling fear; slightly less formal than 'fearful'.)
|
scared (Informal and more commonly used in everyday speech than 'fearful'.)
Antónimos
confident (Shows certainty and lack of fear in facing a situation.)
|
fearless (Completely without fear; opposite emotional state.)
Colocaciones
fearful expression
|fearful eyes
|fearful of change
|fearful situation
|look fearful
Temas
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She was fearful of walking alone at night.
- He gave me a fearful glance before speaking.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I am fearful of big dogs.
- She looks fearful in the dark room.
- He is fearful about the test tomorrow.
- They are fearful of losing their jobs.
- My little sister is fearful when she hears thunder.
adjective
B2
property
2
frightening or alarming
Making people feel afraid.
Patrón de uso:
a fearful [thing/event/situation]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'fearsome', which more strongly emphasizes being intimidating or dangerous.
Sinónimos
frightening (Directly causes fear; very common in modern English.)
|
terrifying (Stronger and more intense than 'fearful' in this sense.)
Antónimos
comforting (Gives reassurance rather than causing fear.)
|
reassuring (Makes someone feel safe instead of afraid.)
Colocaciones
fearful noise
|fearful sight
|fearful storm
|fearful accident
Temas
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- They faced a fearful challenge in climbing the icy mountain.
- The soldiers spoke of a fearful battle.
- A fearful noise came from the basement.
- We saw a fearful accident on the highway.
- The fearful storm kept everyone indoors.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- It was a fearful storm last night.
- The movie showed a fearful monster.
- We heard a fearful sound outside.
- The fearful fire spread quickly.
- She told us a fearful story about the war.
adjective
literary
C1
property
3
very bad or extreme (literary)
Very big or very bad, used to make something sound strong or serious.
Patrón de uso:
a fearful [amount/problem/mistake]
Error frecuente:
Learners may not realize this use is literary and less common in everyday speech.
Sinónimos
terrible (Common everyday equivalent; less literary than 'fearful'.)
|
dreadful (Similar formal/literary tone and strong negative meaning.)
Antónimos
wonderful (Positive extreme instead of negative extreme.)
|
excellent (High quality rather than very bad.)
Colocaciones
fearful mess
|fearful mistake
|fearful noise
Temas
literary
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The project turned into a fearful waste of time and money.
- They made a fearful mistake in ignoring the warning signs.
- There was a fearful mess after the party.
- She has a fearful temper when angered.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- It was a fearful waste of money.
- He made a fearful mistake at work.
- The storm made a fearful mess in the garden.
- They had a fearful fight last night.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
fearful
AFI
GB/fˈɪɹfəl/
US/fˈɪɹfəl/
Sílabas y acento
fear - ful (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (fear)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: fearful
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- He stayed silent, fearful of the consequences of speaking out.
- She refused to act, fearful of the consequences.