Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of fear

11 similar words · 3 opposite words

Another word for fear is terrorize. Other synonyms of fear are dread, hangxiety, be afraid of, be frightened of and be scared of. The opposite of fear is belittle.

Synonyms and similar words for fear

nounTerrified veneration or reverence, particularly towards God, gods, or sovereigns.

  • dreadGreat fear in view of impending evil; fearful apprehension of danger; anticipatory terror.

nounA feeling of dread and anxiety when waking after drinking a lot of alcohol, wondering what one did...

  • hangxietyAn unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension, remorse, and/or obsessive concern about some...

verbTo feel fear.

  • be afraid of
  • be frightened of
  • be scared of
  • be terrorise
  • terrorize

verbTo venerate; to feel awe towards.

nounMore synonyms

Opposite of fear

nounMore antonyms

  • courageThe ability to overcome one's fear, do or live things which one finds frightening.

verbAntonym(s) of “venerate, to feel awe towards”.

Meaning of fear

  1. noun A strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.
  2. noun A phobia, a sense of fear induced by something or someone in particular.
  3. noun Something one is afraid of; the object of one’s fear.

Full definition of fear

fear in other languages

Questions about synonyms of fear

What is another word for fear?
Fear has 11 synonyms on Word.ws, such as terrorize, dread, hangxiety, be afraid of, be frightened of, be scared of, be terrorise and be in awe of.
What is the opposite of fear?
The opposite of fear is belittle.
What does fear mean?
Fear means a strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: fear (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of fear.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/fear. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.