FEAR, n. [See the Verb.]

1. A painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Fear expresses less apprehension than dread, and dread less than terror and fright. The force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear, dread, terror, fright. Fear is accompanied with a desire to avoid or ward off the expected evil. Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. Watts. Fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil. Rogers.
2. Anxiety; solicitude. The principal fear was for the holy temple. Maccabees.
3. The cause of fear. Thy angel becomes a fear. Shak.
4. The object of fear. Except the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me. Gen. xxxi.
5. Something set or hung up to terrify wild animals, by its color or noise. Is. xxiv. Jer. xlviii.
6. In Scripture, fear is used to express a filial, or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear. I will put my fear in their hearts. Jer. xxxii. Slavish fear is the effect or consequence of guilt; it is the painful apprehension of merited punishment. Rom. viii. The love of God casteth out fear. I John iv.
7. The worship of God. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Ps. xxxiv.
8. The law and word of God. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. Ps. xix.
9. Reverence; respect; due regard. Render to all their dues; fear to whom fear. Rom. xiii.

A companion. [Not in use. See Peer.] Spenser.

To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Cor. xi. Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Gen. xv.

1. To feel a painful apprehension of some impending evil; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotions of alarm or solicitude. We fear the approach of an enemy or of a storm. We have reason to fear the punishment of our sins. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Ps. xxiii.
2. To reverence; to have a reverential awe; to venerate. This I do, and live, for I fear God. Gen. xlii.
3. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach by fear, or by a scare-crow. [This seems to be the primary meaning, but now obsolete.] We must not make a scarecrow of the law, / Setting it up to fear the birds of prey. Shak.

1. A variant of Fere, a mate, a companion.
   
   
   [Obs.] Spenser.
2. A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread.
   
   

   * The degrees of this passion, beginning with the most moderate, may be thus expressed, -- apprehension, fear, dread, fright, terror.

   Fear is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. Locke.

   Where no hope is left, is left no fear. Milton.

3. To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude.
   
   

   I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Ps. xxiii. 4.

   With subordinate clause.

   I greatly fear my money is not safe. Shak.

   I almost fear to quit your hand. D. Jerrold.

4. To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil.
   
   

   I exceedingly fear and quake. Heb. xii. 21.

5. Apprehension of incurring, or solicitude to avoid, God's wrath; the trembling and awful reverence felt toward the Supreme Belng.
   
   
   (b)
6. To have a reverential awe of; to solicitous to avoid the displeasure of.
   
   

   Leave them to God above; him serve and fear. Milton.

7. That which causes, or which is the object of, apprehension or alarm; source or occasion of terror; danger; dreadfulness.
   
   

   There were they in great fear, where no fear was. Ps. liii. 5.

   The fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. Shak.

   For fear, in apprehension lest. "For fear you ne'er see chain nor money more." Shak.

8. To be anxious or solicitous for.
   
   
   [R.]

   The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, therefore . . . I fear you. Shak.

9. To suspect; to doubt.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   Ay what else, fear you not her courage? Shak.

10. To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear.
    
    
    [Obs.]

    fear their people from doing evil. Robynsin (More's utopia).

    Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs. Shak.

    Syn. -- To apprehend; dread; reverence; venerate.