Words To Describe Fear

adjective showing a lack of courage or bravery; timid

• His cowardly behavior during the crisis was disappointing.
• Don't be cowardly, stand up for yourself!
• He acted all cowardly when faced with a challenge.
• The storm clouds were like cowardly shadows creeping across the sky.

noun a feeling of intense fear or apprehension

verb to anticipate with great apprehension or fear

• The feeling of dread washed over her as she realized she had forgotten her presentation materials.
• I always feel a sense of dread before going to the dentist.
• I have such dread about this exam tomorrow, I didn't study at all.
• The dread of failure loomed over him like a dark cloud, making it hard to focus on anything else.

adjective causing fear or dread; extremely bad or serious

• The impact of the dreadful weather on crop yields is a major concern for farmers.
• I had a dreadful time at the dentist yesterday, the whole experience was just awful.
• That movie was so dreadful, I couldn't even sit through it.
• The dreadful weight of guilt hung heavy on his shoulders.

adjective causing fear or terror; scary

• The sudden loud noise was quite frightening and caused a lot of panic among the crowd.
• I find horror movies really frightening, they always give me nightmares.
• That haunted house was so spooky, it was downright frightening!
• The thought of failing the exam was like a frightening shadow looming over her.

adjective causing great horror or fear; frightful

• The crime scene was a ghastly sight, with blood spattered everywhere.
• I can't believe you're wearing that ghastly sweater to the party.
• That horror movie was so ghastly, I couldn't sleep for days.
• The politician's ghastly behavior was a stain on his reputation.

noun A small, raised area on the skin that appears as a result of cold, fear, or excitement

• The chilling wind gave me goose bumps as I walked to the bus stop.
• That horror movie gave me such bad goose bumps, I couldn't sleep last night.
• The scary story she told us gave me major goose bumps.
• Listening to her sing always gives me goose bumps, she's so talented.

noun anxiety or fear

• The eerie sounds in the abandoned house gave me the heebie jeebies.
• That horror movie really gave me the heebie jeebies.
• The creepy crawlies always give me the heebie jeebies.
• The thought of public speaking gives me the heebie jeebies.

adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb to indicate manner, degree, or frequency

• The weather turned horridly cold overnight, causing a sharp drop in temperatures.
• I failed the exam horridly, I didn't even understand half of the questions.
• She was dressed horridly, like she got dressed in the dark.
• The news of his betrayal hit her horridly, shattering her trust completely.

adjective causing great fear or dread; terrifying

• The details of the crime scene were truly horrifying.
• I watched a really horrifying movie last night.
• That haunted house was so creepy, it was horrifying!
• The thought of failing the exam was absolutely horrifying.

verb past tense of the verb horrify

adjective causing or feeling horror or shock

• The audience was horrified by the graphic images shown in the documentary.
• I was horrified when I saw how much I spent on my credit card bill.
• I was totally horrified when I saw that huge spider in my room.
• She was horrified to discover that her secret had been exposed.

noun a situation or experience that is very frightening or unpleasant

• The recurring nightmare has been causing significant distress to the patient.
• Last night's nightmare was so scary, I couldn't go back to sleep.
• That party was a total nightmare, I wish I never went.
• Dealing with that difficult client is a nightmare, I can't wait for it to be over.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun, in this case, 'panic-stricken' describes a state of extreme fear or anxiety.

• The crowd became panic-stricken when they heard the loud noise.
• I was panic-stricken when I realized I left my phone at home.
• She was totally panic-stricken when she saw the spider in her room.
• His mind was panic-stricken with worry about the upcoming exam.

noun a fixed grimace or grin, often of a corpse or a person in pain

• The corpse's face contorted into a rictus of agony.
• He tried to smile but it came out as a weird rictus.
• She had a creepy rictus grin on her face.
• The city skyline was outlined against the sky in a rictus of steel and glass.

noun a trembling or quivering movement

verb to shake slightly because of cold, fear, or excitement

• The cold wind made her shiver as she walked home from work.
• I always shiver when I watch scary movies.
• That horror movie had me shivering in my boots!
• The thought of public speaking makes me shiver with fear.

noun a feeling of coldness or trembling

adjective causing a person to feel cold, trembling, or shivering

• The cold wind made me feel shivery as I walked home from work.
• I always get shivery when I watch scary movies.
• I was so scared that I was shivery all over.
• Her words sent a shivery feeling down my spine.

verb to utter a loud, sharp, piercing cry

• The sound of shrieking could be heard from the top of the mountain.
• I couldn't sleep last night because my neighbors were shrieking at each other.
• The kids were shrieking with excitement when they saw the ice cream truck.
• The sirens were shrieking through the city, signaling a state of emergency.

verb past tense of startle, to cause someone to feel sudden shock or alarm

adjective feeling or showing sudden shock or alarm

• The loud noise startled the audience during the symphony performance.
• I was so startled when my cat jumped out from behind the couch.
• She was totally startled when she saw her ex at the party.
• The sudden change in plans startled me, but I quickly adapted.

adjective causing extreme fear or dread

• The sight of the massive storm approaching was truly terrifying.
• Watching that horror movie was absolutely terrifying.
• That haunted house was hella terrifying, dude.
• The idea of failing the exam was a terrifying thought for the student.

adjective showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence

• The timorous student hesitated to speak up in front of the class.
• She's always been a bit timorous when it comes to trying new things.
• Don't be so timorous, just go for it!
• His timorous nature was like a barrier preventing him from taking risks.

verb to cause someone to feel nervous, afraid, or upset

• The unexpected noise unnerved the audience during the performance.
• I don't know why, but that movie really unnerved me.
• The creepy music in that game totally unnerved me!
• Her calm demeanor unnerved her opponents during the debate.

adjective having weak or feeble knees

• She was criticized for being weak-kneed in her approach to the negotiations.
• He always gets weak-kneed around his crush.
• Don't be so weak-kneed, stand up for yourself!
• The team showed a weak-kneed response to the opponent's aggressive tactics.

adjective causing fear or dread, terrible

• The direful news of the impending economic crisis shook the nation.
• The direful weather forecast ruined our plans for a picnic.
• I can't believe the direful mess I got myself into this time.
• The direful shadow of war loomed over the region, causing fear and unrest.

noun spine - the series of bones in the back that protect the spinal cord

verb runs - moves quickly in a particular direction

pronoun someone's - belonging to an unspecified person

preposition up/down - indicating direction

• As the ghostly figure emerged from the darkness, a chill ran down her spine.
• When she heard the eerie sound, a shiver ran up his spine.
• The scary movie gave her the creeps, and a chill ran down his spine.
• The thought of failing the exam sent a chill down her spine.

verb to cause fear or apprehension in someone

• The loud noise did not afear the experienced firefighter.
• Don't let the dark alleyway afear you, it's just a shortcut.
• I ain't afear of no ghost!
• Her determination afears any obstacle in her way.

noun a sudden feeling of alarm or fear

verb to frighten or terrify

• The sudden loud noise affrighted the children in the classroom.
• The horror movie affrighted me so much that I couldn't sleep.
• That haunted house totally affrighted me, dude!
• The thought of failing the exam affrighted her more than anything else.

verb past tense of affright, meaning to frighten or scare

adjective feeling fear or alarm

• The villagers were affrighted by the sudden appearance of a ghostly figure in the graveyard.
• I was affrighted when I heard a loud noise coming from the dark alley.
• She was totally affrighted when she saw the spider crawling towards her.
• The thought of failing the exam affrighted him more than anything else.

verb to cause fear or terror in; frighten

• The loud noise of thunder affrightened the young child.
• I didn't mean to affrighten you with my sudden appearance.
• The horror movie affrightened me so much that I couldn't sleep.
• The thought of failing affrightens me more than anything else.

noun a feeling of fear or dread; a state of being frightened or alarmed

• The sudden affrightment of the villagers was caused by the loud explosion.
• The affrightment on their faces told me they had seen something terrifying.
• I had never seen such affrightment on someone's face before, it was like they had seen a ghost.
• The affrightment in her eyes mirrored the fear in her heart.