fearful
UK: ˈfɪəfl | US: ˈfɪrfl
adj. feeling or showing fear; frightened
adj. causing or likely to cause fear; terrifying
adj. (informal) extremely bad or unpleasant
fearful = fear<dread> + ful<full of>
- fear (from Old English fǣr "calamity, sudden danger," related to Old High German fāra "ambush")
- ful (suffix from Old English -full, meaning "full of," akin to German -voll)
Etymology Origin:
The word "fearful" combines the Old English root fear, originally denoting sudden danger or calamity, with the suffix -ful, meaning "full of." Over time, fear evolved to describe the emotion of dread, while -ful became a productive suffix in English to form adjectives indicating abundance (e.g., "joyful," "painful"). The compound "fearful" thus literally means "full of fear," reflecting both emotional and causative meanings (e.g., "a fearful person" vs. "a fearful storm").
She gave a fearful glance at the dark alley.
The thunderstorm was so fearful that the dog hid under the bed.
He felt fearful about the upcoming exam.
The movie’s special effects created a fearful atmosphere.
(Informal) This coffee tastes fearful—did you burn it?