for fear of

F f

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [fawr feer uhv, ov]
- /fɔr fɪər ʌv, ɒv/
- /fɔː(r) fɪə(r) əv/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [fawr feer uhv, ov]
- /fɔr fɪər ʌv, ɒv/

Definitions of for fear of words

noun for fear of a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity. 1
noun for fear of a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights. Synonyms: phobia, aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear. Antonyms: liking, fondness, penchant, predilection. 1
noun for fear of concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety. 1
noun for fear of reverential awe, especially toward God: the fear of God. Synonyms: awe, respect, reverence, veneration. 1
noun for fear of something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of: Cancer is a common fear. 1
noun for fear of anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur: Having grown up during the Great Depression, he had a constant fear of running out of money. 1

See all 18 definitions of for fear of

Information block about the term

Origin of for fear of

First appearance:

before 900

One of the 4% oldest English words

before 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

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for For fear of

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of For fear of

for fear of popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

for fear of usage trend in Literature

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