Synonyms for fearful
- adjective
Most common
terrible terrifying frightening dreadful afraid frightened cowardly unmanly
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Frightening — frightening; causing fear
frightening, terrifying, terrible, dreadful, scary, dire, awful, horrific, alarming, dread, horrible, grim, horrifying, terrific, ghastly, shocking, daunting, horrid, dreaded, appalling, formidable, horrendous
2. Afraid — frightened; filled with terror
afraid, frightened, timid, apprehensive, alarmed, nervous, craven, diffident, tremulous, faint, yellow, faint-hearted, chicken, spineless, chicken-hearted, dastardly, pusillanimous, lily-livered, trepid, gutless, yellow-bellied, timorous dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Frightening; causing fear.
- adj. 2
Frightened; filled with terror.
Related words
- Word family
- fearfulness
Example sentences
- terrible Terrible shooting broke out the night before last.
- terrifying Ziri listened to one of Rima's terrifying stories.
- frightening I was terrified of receiving a frightening answer.
- dreadful Something dreadful has happened to Miss Davidson.
- afraid He who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning.
- frightened The frightened boy's heart palpitated with terror.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| fearful | rising | |
| terrible | rising | |
| terrifying | rising | |
| frightening | rising | |
| dreadful | rising | |
| afraid | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- dire1, grim1
- 5 letters
- awful2, scary2, faint1, dread1, funky2, milky2, timid2
- 6 letters
- afraid2, yellow2, horrid2, craven2, trepid
- 7 letters
- chicken2, nervous2, alarmed2, dreaded2, ghastly2, gutless2, unmanly
- 8 letters
- terrible3, horrible3, shocking2, terrific3, horrific3, dreadful2, alarming3, daunting2, cowardly3, timorous3
- 9 letters
- appalling3, spineless2, dastardly3, diffident, tremulous3, timidsome
- 10 letters
- terrifying4, frightened2, formidable4, horrifying4, horrendous3
- 11 letters
- frightening3
- 12 letters
- apprehensive4
- 13 letters
- pusillanimous5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (awful2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- redoutable