fearing

Verb

fear (third-person singular simple present fears, present participle fearing, simple past and past participle feared)

1. (transitive) To be afraid of (something or someone); to consider or expect (something or someone) with alarm.
   • I fear the worst will happen.
2. (intransitive) To feel fear.
   • Never fear; help is always near.

   Synonyms:

   be afraid of, be frightened of, be scared of, be terrorise, terrorize

3. (intransitive) To worry about, to feel concern for, to be afraid for [with for].
   • She fears for her son’s safety.
4. (transitive) To venerate; to feel awe towards.
   • People who fear God can be found in Christian churches.

   Synonyms:

   be in awe of, revere, venerate

5. (transitive) To regret.
   • I fear I have bad news for you: your husband has died.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To cause fear to; to frighten.
   • Thenne the knyghte sayd to syre Gawayn / bynde thy wounde or thy blee chaunge / for thou bybledest al thy hors and thy fayre armes /[…]/ For who someuer is hurte with this blade he shalle neuer be staunched of bledynge / Thenne ansuerd gawayn hit greueth me but lytyl / thy grete wordes shalle not...1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book V

See all 15 meanings of fear