Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

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fear

[fɪ͟ə(r)]

♦

fears, fearing, feared

1. N-VAR: oft N of n/-ing Fear is the unpleasant feeling you have when you think that you are in danger.

2. VERB If you fear someone or something, you are frightened because you think that they will harm you.

3. N-VAR: with supp, oft N of n/-ing, N that A fear is a thought that something unpleasant might happen or might have happened.

4. VERB If you fear something unpleasant or undesirable, you are worried that it might happen or might have happened.

5. N-VAR: oft N that, N of n/-ing If you say that there is a fear that something unpleasant or undesirable will happen, you mean that you think it is possible or likely.

6. VERB If you fear for someone or something, you are very worried because you think that they might be in danger.

7. N-VAR: N for n If you have fears for someone or something, you are very worried because you think that they might be in danger.

8. VERB If you fear to do something, you are afraid to do it or you do not wish to do it.

9. VERB You say that you fear that a situation is the case when the situation is unpleasant or undesirable, and when you want to express sympathy, sorrow, or regret about it. [FORMAL]

10. PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, usu v-link PHR, PHR after v If you are in fear of doing or experiencing something unpleasant or undesirable, you are very worried that you might have to do it or experience it.

11. PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, PHR with cl If you take a particular course of action for fear of something, you take the action in order to prevent that thing happening.

12. PHRASE: usu PHR with cl You say `fear not' or `never fear' to someone when you are telling them not to worry or be frightened. [OLD-FASHIONED]

13. CONVENTION (emphasis) You use `no fear' to emphasize that you do not want to do something. [BRIT, INFORMAL]

14. PHRASE: V inflects If someone or something puts the fear of God into you, they frighten or worry you, often deliberately.