fearful

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

fearefull (obsolete)
fearfull (obsolete)

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English ferful, fervol, equivalent to fear +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation[edit]

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɪəfəl/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɪɹfəl/
Audio (US)
(file)
Rhymes: -ɪəɹfʊl
Hyphenation: fear‧ful

Adjective[edit]

fearful (comparative fearfuller or fearfuler or more fearful, superlative fearfullest or fearfulest or most fearful)

Frightening.
Tending to fear; timid.
a fearful boy
(dated) Terrible; shockingly bad.
- 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House:
  But every day after dinner, for an hour, we were all together, and then the Favourite and the rest of the Royal Hareem competed who should most beguile the leisure of the Serene Haroun reposing from the cares of State — which were generally, as in most affairs of State, of an arithmetical character, the Commander of the Faithful being a fearful boggler at a sum.
(now rare) Frightened; filled with terror.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.4:
  Those two great champions did attonce pursew / The fearefull damzell with incessant payns […]

Synonyms[edit]

(frightened): frightened, timid, timorous
See also Thesaurus:afraid and Thesaurus:cowardly

Translations[edit]

frightening

Bulgarian: страшен (bg) (strašen)
Czech: děsivý, hrozný (cs), hrozivý, strašlivý
French: effrayant (fr), redoutable (fr)
German: furchtbar (de)
Greek: φοβερός (el) (foverós), τρομακτικός (el) (tromaktikós)
Ancient: φοβερός (phoberós)

Latin: timidus, meticulosus, dirus
Latvian: biedējošs, baismīgs
Portuguese: amedrontador
Russian: стра́шный (ru) (strášnyj), ужа́сный (ru) (užásnyj)
Sanskrit: भीम (sa) (bhīma)
Turkish: korkulu (tr)
Vietnamese: đáng sợ (vi)

tending to fear

Arabic: خَوَّاف‎ (ḵawwāf)
Czech: bázlivý, lekavý
Danish: frygtsom
Dutch: angstig (nl), bang (nl), vreesachtig (nl)
French: peureux (fr), craintif (fr)

German: furchtsam (de), ängstlich (de)
Greek:
Ancient: δειλός (deilós)
Latin: pavidus, timidus

terrible

Bulgarian: ужасен (bg) (užasen)
Czech: hrozný (cs), děsivý, strašlivý
French: terrible (fr), affreux (fr)
German: furchtbar (de)

Greek: φοβερός (el) (foverós), τρομερός (el) (tromerós)
Romanian: groaznic (ro)
Russian: ужа́сный (ru) (užásnyj)

frightened, filled with terror

Armenian: երկչոտ (hy) (erkčʿot)
Belarusian: бая́зны (bajázny)
Bulgarian: уплашен (bg) (uplašen), страхлив (bg) (strahliv)
Czech: vystrašený, ochromený strachem
French: peureux (fr)
German: verängstigt (de)
Greek: φοβισμένος (el) (fovisménos)
Irish: anbhách
Italian: impaurito (it), spaventato (it), pavido (it)

Latin: pavidus, timidus
Latvian: nobijies
Manx: faitagh
Maori: ihiihi, uruwehi
Portuguese: amedrontado (pt)
Russian: испу́ганный (ru) (ispúgannyj), пугли́вый (ru) (puglívyj)
Spanish: miedoso (es), temeroso (es)
Vietnamese: sợ hãi (vi), sợ sệt (vi), sợ (vi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Spanish: terrible, espantoso; tremendo; temeroso

Adverb[edit]

fearful (comparative more fearful, superlative most fearful)

(dialect) Extremely; fearfully.
- 2009, Juliette Shapiro, Mr. Darcy's Decision: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice:
  “He is fearful handsome, as you know,” she said remorsefully, “you cannot imagine, Georgiana, the joy when I first fell in love with him.”
- 2014, Diana Wynne Jones, The Chrestomanci series:
  “It's a fearful strong charm needs dragon's blood,” he said plaintively.
- 2014, Michael Brock, ‎Eleanor Brock, Margot Asquith's Great War Diary 1914-1916:
  His Dardanelles expedition gave the Turk a fearful long start.

Anagrams[edit]

Lauffer