Topic Thesaurus
Roget's Thesaurus

Fear

Nouns
  • fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence
  • apprehensiveness, fearfulness etc. adj.
  • solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving
  • feeze [U.S.]
  • mistrust etc. (doubt) Unbelief. Doubt
  • suspicion, qualm
  • hesitation etc. (irresolution) Irresolution. 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) [Excess of fear.] Cowardice
  • mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency
  • despair etc. [Absence, want or loss of hope.] Hopelessness. 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) Demon
  • nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum
Verbs
  • fear, stand in awe of
  • be afraid etc. adj.
  • have qualms etc. n.
  • apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance
  • distrust etc. (disbelieve) Unbelief. Doubt. hesitate etc. (be irresolute) Irresolution
  • falter, funk, cower, crouch
  • skulk etc. (cowardice) [Excess of fear.] Cowardice
  • let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would'" [Macbeth] take fright, take alarm
  • start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink
  • fly etc. (avoid) [Absence of pursuit.] Avoidance. 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. Threat.
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) Danger
  • portentous
  • fearful
  • dread, dreadful
  • fell
  • dire, direful
  • shocking
  • terrible, terrific
  • tremendous
  • horrid, horrible, horrific
  • ghastly
  • awful, awe-inspiring
  • revolting etc. (painful) [Capability of giving pain; cause or source of pain] Painfulness
  • Gorgonian.
Int
  • angels and ministers of grace defend us! " [Hamlet].
Phrases
  • one's heart failing one
  • 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]
  • our fears do make us traitors" [Macbeth]