feared

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɪɹd/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fɪəd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)d

Etymology 1

From Middle English fard, feard, ferd, ferde, fered, equivalent to fear +‎ -ed.

Adjective

feared (comparative more feared, superlative most feared)

1. Pertaining to someone or thing that causes great fear in others.

   Synonym: dreaded

2. Regarded with fear, respect, or reverence.

   Synonyms: esteemed, respected, worthy; see also Thesaurus:revered

3. (obsolete outside dialects) Frightened, afraid.
   • 1649, Richard Baxter, “An Exhortation to Those that Have Got Assurance of This Rest, or Title to It, that They Would Do All that Possibly They Can to Help Others to It Also. The Fifth Use.”, in The Saints Everlasting Rest: Or, A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Glory. […], London: […] Rob[ert] White, for Thomas Underhil and Francis Tyton, […], →OCLC, part III (Containing Several Uses of the Former Doctrine of Rest), section 5, paragraph 5, page 465:

     Conſcience grows feared: the heart grows hardened: while you delay, the Devil rules and rejoyceth: […]

   • 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in The Antiquary. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 215:

     […] I’m maist feared to speak to him—and it’s an unco thing to hear ane o’ us speak that gate o’ a man—[…]

   • 1891, Edwin Arnold, “Mary Magdalene”, in The Light of the World; or, The Great Consummation, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 82:

     That which hindered was thyself / More feared of [Julius] Cæsar, than of wrongfulness; […]

Derived terms

• feardie
• fearedness
• unfeared

Etymology 2

From Middle English ferd, feerd, fered, equivalent to fear +‎ -ed.

Verb

feared

1. simple past and past participle of fear

Anagrams

• Fareed, Freeda, ad-free, afeerd, deafer, faeder, fæder