Definition, synonyms and related words
simple past tense and past participle of fear
"The villagers feared that a storm was coming, so they locked their doors."
In plain English: Feared means to be afraid of something happening.
"The children feared that dark clouds meant a storm was coming."
Pertaining to someone or thing that causes great fear in others.
"The feared storm arrived sooner than anyone expected, causing panic across the coastal town."
In plain English: Feared means something that makes people feel very scared to be near it or do anything related to it.
"The feared storm finally arrived after weeks of heavy rain."
Usage: Use "feared" as an adjective before a noun (e.g., a feared rival) rather than after the verb, where "fearful" is typically required for the subject's own emotion. Avoid confusing it with "fearing," which describes someone who experiences anxiety instead of inspiring it in others.
The word formed by adding the past tense suffix "-ed" to the verb "fear." It entered English as a standard grammatical construction rather than borrowing from another language.