ADJ
deep, great, real, terrible
She felt a deep fear creeping over her as the plane began to shake during the storm.
growing | irrational
unfounded, well-founded
His well-founded fear of losing his job made him work extra hard every day.
VERB + FEAR
experience, feel, have
Many people experience fear when they have to speak in front of a large audience.
be filled with, be gripped by, be paralysed by/with, be trembling with
express, show, voice
Many residents expressed fear about the new factory opening near their neighborhood.
cause, fuel, instil
The sudden power cuts caused fear among residents that the city's electrical system was failing.
allay, dispel, overcome
The doctor's calm explanation helped dispel my fear of the operation.
live in
Many families in the region lived in fear during the war years.
FEAR + VERB
abate, subside
His anxiety about the exam gradually abated after he studied the practice questions.
grip sb, haunt sb
The thought of losing her job began to haunt Sarah every night.
PREP
for ~ of
She didn't speak up in the meeting for fear of saying something wrong.
in ~
The child clung to her mother in fear when the dog started barking loudly.
out of ~
She didn't tell anyone about the accident out of fear of getting in trouble.
through ~
Many people avoid speaking in public through fear of making mistakes.
without ~
The firefighters ran into the burning building without fear to rescue the trapped family.
with ~
She trembled with fear when she heard the strange noise outside her house.
~ about
Many parents have deep fears about their children's safety online.
~ for
The parents expressed their fear for the children's wellbeing during the long school trip.
~ of
My younger brother has had a deep fear of the dark since childhood.
PHRASES
fear and trepidation
She walked into the exam room in fear and trepidation, worried she hadn't studied enough.
strike fear into (the heart of) sb
The sudden earthquake struck fear into the hearts of everyone in the building.
ADV
genuinely, greatly, really, seriously
She seriously fears that she might lose her job if the company decides to downsize.
rightly
Many people rightly feared that the old bridge would collapse during the storm.
VERB + FEAR
seem to | begin to
have little/nothing to
She has little to fear about her exam results since she studied hard all week.
have reason to
She has reason to fear that her flight might be delayed again.
PREP
for
The mother worried for her child's health when he developed a high fever.