fear|ful «FIHR fuhl», adjective.
1. causing fear; terrible; dreadful: »
a fearful explosion, a fearful dragon. At midnight's fearful hour (Samuel Rogers).
SYNONYM(S): awful, frightful, horrible.2. a) feeling fear; frightened: »
fearful of the dark.
SYNONYM(S): afraid, alarmed, apprehensive, cowardly, craven, pusillanimous. b) full of awe or reverence: »The savages thought the explorers were gods and, fearful, knelt before them.
3. showing fear; caused by fear: »
fearful cries. Adeline…threw a fearful glance around (Ann Radcliffe).
4. Informal. very bad, difficult, or unpleasant: »
I have a fearful cold. If he does not run for Governor, he confronts a fearful task in maintaining party primacy (New York Times Magazine).
–fear´ful|ly, adverb.
–fear´ful|ness, noun.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.