Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
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fearful

adjective US /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

How often you will meet it

Rank 2,340 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 7,410 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.

What it means

adjective

  1. experiencing or showing fear a fearful glancefearful of criticism
  2. causing fear or dread or terror also: awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful the awful waran awful risk
  3. lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted also: cowardly cowardly dogs, ye will not aid me then
  4. extremely distressing also: frightful fearful slum conditionsa frightful mistake
  5. timid by nature or revealing timidity also: timorous, trepid timorous little mousein a timorous tone

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

fearful in real books

Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.

  • Accordingly looking where he pointed, I espied a fearful monster indeed.

    The Life and Most Surprising Adventures · Daniel Defoe · Chapter 1

  • I had not ridden a minute, when I came on a fearful scene.

    An Egyptian Princess — Volume 07 · Georg Ebers · Chapter 1

  • Then, in this combat of legions of saints against Satan are developed the fearful sufferings from persecutions.

    The Dream · Émile Zola · Chapter 1

  • What fearful shapes and shadows beset his path, amidst the dim and ghastly glare of a snowy night!

    The Legend of Sleepy Hollow · Washington Irving · Chapter 1

  • Uncharitable woman! thy rash tongue Hath rais'd a fearful and prodigious storm: Be thou the cause of all ensuing harm.

    The White Devil · John Webster · Chapter 1

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