Roget's Thesaurus

#860. Fear

Nouns

fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence; apprehensiveness, fearfulness etc. adj.; solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving; feeze [U.S.]; mistrust etc. (doubt) 485; suspicion, qualm; hesitation etc. (irresolution) 605. nervousness, restlessness etc. adj.; inquietude, disquietude, worry, concern; batophobia; heartquake; flutter, trepidation, fear and trembling, perturbation, tremor, quivering, shaking, trembling, throbbing heart, palpitation, ague fit, cold sweat; abject fear etc. (cowardice) 862; mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency; despair etc. 859. fright; affright, affrightment; boof alarm [U.S.], dread, awe, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic, scare, stampede (of horses). intimidation, terrorism, reign of terror. [Object of fear] bug bear, bugaboo; scarecrow; hobgoblin etc. (demon) 980; nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum, bete noire [Fr.], enfant terrible [Fr.]. alarmist etc. (coward) 862.

Verbs

fear, stand in awe of; be afraid etc. adj.; have qualms etc. n.; apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance; distrust etc. (disbelieve) 485. hesitate etc. (be irresolute) 605; falter, funk, cower, crouch; skulk etc. (cowardice) 862; let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' [Macbeth] take fright, take alarm; start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink; fly etc. (avoid) 623. tremble, shake; shiver, shiver in one's shoes; shudder, flutter; shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over; quake, quaver, quiver, quail. grow pale, turn pale; blench, stand aghast; not dare to say one's soul is one's own. inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe; raise apprehensions; be in a daze, bulldoze [U.S.]; faze, feeze [U.S.]; give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm; alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay; fright, frighten, terrify; astound; fright from one's propriety; fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses; awe; strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror; harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify; pile on the agony. make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter; take away one's breath, stop one's breath; make one tremble etc.; haunt; prey on the mind, weigh on the mind. put in fear, put in bodily fear; terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage; browbeat, bully; threaten etc. 909.

Adjectives

fearing etc. v.; frightened etc. v.; in fear, in a fright etc. n.; haunted with the fear of etc. n.; afeard. afraid, fearful; timid, timorous; nervous, diffident, coy, faint-hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety; more frightened than hurt. aghast; awe-stricken, horror-stricken, terror-stricken, panic-stricken, awestruck, awe-stricken, horror-struck; frightened to death, white as a sheet; pale, pale as a ghost, pale as death, pale as ashes; breathless, in hysterics. inspiring fear etc. v.; alarming; formidable, redoubtable; perilous etc. (danger) 665; portentous; fearful; dread, dreadful; fell; dire, direful; shocking; terrible, terrific; tremendous; horrid, horrible, horrific; ghastly; awful, awe-inspiring; revolting etc. (painful) 830; Gorgonian.

Adverbs

in terrorem [Lat.].

Interjections

angels and ministers of grace defend us! [Hamlet].

Phrases

ante tubam trepidat [Lat.]; horresco referens [Lat.], one's heart failing one, obstupui steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit [Lat.] [Vergil]. a dagger of the mind [Macbeth]; expertus metuit [Lat.] [Horace]; fain would I climb but that I fear to fall [Raleigh]; fear is the parent of cruelty [Froude]; Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire [Paradise Lost]; omnia tuta timens [Lat.] [Vergil]; our fears do make us traitors [Macbeth];