Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Fear
Fear
,Noun.
[OE.
fer
, feer
, fere
, AS. fǣr
a coming suddenly upon, fear, danger; akin to D. vaar
, OHG. fāra
danger, G. gefahr
, Icel. fār
harm, mischief, plague, and to E. fare
, peril
. See Fare
.] 1.
A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread.
☞ The degrees of this passion, beginning with the most moderate, may be thus expressed, –
apprehension
, fear
, dread
, fright
, terror
. Fear
is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. Locke.
Where no hope is left, is left no
fear
. Milton.
2.
(Script.)
(a)
Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God’s wrath; the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme Being.
(b)
Respectful reverence for men of authority or worth.
I will put my
fear
in their hearts. Jer. xxxii. 40.
I will teach you the
fear
of the Lord. Ps. xxxiv. 11.
Render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due . . .
fear
to whom fear
. Rom. xiii. 7.
3.
That which causes, or which is the object of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger; dreadfulness.
There were they in great fear, where no
fear
was. Ps. liii. 5.
The
fear
of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. Shakespeare
For fear
, in apprehension lest.
“For fear you ne'er see chain nor money more.” Shak.
Fear
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Feared
(fērd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Fearing
.] 1.
To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude.
I will
fear
no evil, for thou art with me. Ps. xxiii. 4.
With subordinate clause.
I greatly
fear
my money is not safe. Shakespeare
I almost
fear
to quit your hand. D. Jerrold.
2.
To have a reverential awe of; to be solicitous to avoid the displeasure of.
Leave them to God above; him serve and
fear
. Milton.
3.
To be anxious or solicitous for; now replaced by
fear for
. [R.]
The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, therefore . . . I
fear
you. Shakespeare
4.
To suspect; to doubt.
[Obs.]
Ay what else,
fear
you not her courage? Shakespeare
5.
To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear.
[Obs.]
Fear
their people from doing evil. Robynson (More's Utopia).
Syn. – To apprehend; dread; reverence; venerate.
Fear
,Verb.
I.
To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil.
I exceedingly
fear
and quake. Heb. xii. 21.
Webster 1828 Edition
Fear
FEAR
,Noun.
1.
A painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Fear expresses less apprehension than dread, and dread less than terror and fright. The force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear, dread, terror, fright. Fear is accompanied with a desire to avoid or ward off the expected evil. Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us.Fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil.
2.
Anxiety; solicitude.The principal fear was for the holy temple.
3.
The cause of fear.Thy angel becomes a fear.
4.
The object of fear.Except the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me. Gen 31.
5.
Something set or hung up to terrify wild animals, by its color or noise. Is. 24. Jer. 48.6.
In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear.I will put my fear in their hearts. Jer. 32.
Slavish fear is the effect or consequence of guilt; it is the painful apprehension of merited punishment. Rom. 8.
The love of God casteth out fear. 1John 4.
7.
The worship of God.I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Ps. 34.
8.
The law and word of God.The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever. Ps. 19.
9.
Reverence; respect; due regard.Render to all their dues; fear to whom fear. Rom. 13.
FEAR
,Verb.
T.
1.
To feel a painful apprehension of some impending evil; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotions of alarm or solicitude. We fear the approach of an enemy or of a storm. We have reason to fear the punishment of our sins.I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Ps. 23.
2.
To reverence; to have a reverential awe; to venerate.This do, and live: for I fear God. Gen. 42.
3.
To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach by fear, or by a scarecrow. [This seems to be the primary meaning, but now obsolete.]We must not make a scarecrow of the law, setting it up to fear the birds of prey.
FEAR
,Verb.
I.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2Cor. 11.
Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Gen. 15.
FEAR
,Noun.
Definition 2024
féar
féar
Irish
Alternative forms
- feur (superseded)
Noun
féar m (genitive singular féir, nominative plural féara)
Declension
Declension of féar
First declension
|
Bare forms:
|
Forms with the definite article:
|
Derived terms
- broimfhéar m (“couch grass”)
- féarúil (“grassy”, adjective)
Mutation
| Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
| féar | fhéar | bhféar |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||
References
- ↑ Matasović, Ranko (2009) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-17336-1, page 409
- “féar” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
- "féar" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.