Fear for Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈfɪɹ/ /ˈfɔɹ/, /fɝ/, /fɹɝ

FEER for

UK

fˈiə/ /fˈɔː

FEER faw

Definition

To be worried that something bad might happen to someone or something important to you.

Usage & Nuances

Always used with 'for': 'fear for someone's safety', not 'fear someone's safety.' Formal or neutral in tone. Common for serious concerns, not casual worry. Can refer to people ('I fear for my friend') or things ('fear for the future'). Do not confuse with 'be afraid of' (which means afraid OF someone or something).

• Spanish: temer por - preocuparse por
• Portuguese (BR): temer por - preocupar-se com
• Portuguese (PT): temer por - preocupar-se com
• Chinese (Simplified): 担心（...的安全/情况） - 害怕失去
• Chinese (Traditional): 擔心（...的安全/情況） - 害怕失去
• Hindi: के लिए डरना - चिंता करना
• Arabic: يَخشى على - يقلق بشأن
• Bengali: জন্য আশঙ্কা করা - কারো জন্য ভয় পাওয়া
• Russian: бояться за - опасаться за
• Japanese: ～を案じる - ～を心配する
• Vietnamese: lo sợ cho - lo ngại cho
• Korean: ~을 걱정하다 - ~을 염려하다
• Turkish: -den/-dan endişe duymak - için korkmak
• Urdu: کے لیے فکر کرنا - کے لیے خوف محسوس کرنا
• Indonesian: khawatir akan - takut akan

Example Sentences

Many people fear for their families during a war.

basic

I fear for my friend's health.

basic

Residents fear for their homes during a flood.

basic

I can't help but fear for the future of our planet.

natural

Whenever he drives so fast, I really fear for his safety.

natural

Teachers often fear for their students when there's trouble in the area.

natural