FEARED Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

feared

verb

Definition of feared

past tense of fear

as in worried

to experience concern or anxiety her friends feared that she was dating a guy who was all wrong for her

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of feared Still stinging emotionally from the recording studio shooting and assault case that both happened in New York and Shakur feared were setups, Knight told Kearse a week after Shakur’s death that Tupac had more than a financial connection to Death Row. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Yet the broader employment outcome was less stark than feared. — Adam Schickling, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 The men feared that nests on the beach would lead to fewer customers and less money being spent there, authorities said. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Ask what is owed, offered, felt, or feared without turning the whole thing into an interrogation. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 His attorneys feared Paul was trying to coax Fauci to say something under oath that could be misconstrued and used to prosecute him. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 Fellow Anthropic co-founder and chief science officer Jared Kaplan had long feared that AI would eventually accelerate research, perhaps outpacing safety efforts. — Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 As Crazy Rich Asians approached its release, the filmmakers feared the movie would become a referendum. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 Midway into her pregnancy, the 26-year-old feared being put into isolation simply for having a fever, a common misconception. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for feared

worried

Verb

Within four months, the other members of the selectorate, worried that Beria was a threat, arrested him in a committee session and subsequently executed him.

— Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Advertisers stayed away, worried that ads would appear next to antisemitic posts, misinformation, and other objectionable content.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

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fear

feared

fearful

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“Feared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feared. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of feared

verb

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