Fearful
/ˈfɪə.fəl/noun
Feeling or showing fear; causing fear or dread.
Did you know?Fearful is an old English formation from fear + -ful, and its older senses could mean not only “afraid” but also “full of reverence,” showing how fear and awe were once tightly linked.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to try, risk, or experience danger”
Old English
OE
fǣr
“danger, sudden calamity, peril”
Old English
OE
fǣrlic
“dangerous, terrible, alarming”
Middle English
ME
fereful
“full of fear; also awe-inspiring or alarming”
Modern English
English
fearful
“feeling fear or causing fear”