1.  To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude. [1913 Webster]
"With subordinate clause.
I greatly fear my money is not safe. Shak.

I almost fear to quit your hand. D. Jerrold." [1913 Webster]
"I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." [1913 Webster]

2.  To have a reverential awe of; to be solicitous to avoid the displeasure of. [1913 Webster]
"Leave them to God above; him serve and fear." [1913 Webster]

3.  To be anxious or solicitous for; now replaced by fear for. [1913 Webster]
"The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children, therefore . . . I fear you." [1913 Webster]

4.  To suspect; to doubt. [1913 Webster]
"Ay what else, fear you not her courage?" [1913 Webster]

5.  To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear. [1913 Webster]
"Fear their people from doing evil." [1913 Webster]
"Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs."

   To be in apprehension of evil; to be afraid; to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil. [1913 Webster]
"I exceedingly fear and quake." [1913 Webster]

fear, n. & v.
--n.
1 a an unpleasant emotion caused by exposure to danger, expectation of pain, etc. b a state of alarm (be in fear).
2 a cause of fear (all fears removed).
3 (often foll. by of) dread or fearful respect (towards) (had a fear of heights).
4 anxiety for the safety of (in fear of their lives).
5 danger; likelihood (of something unwelcome) (there is little fear of failure).
--v.
1 a tr. feel fear about or towards (a person or thing). b intr. feel fear.
2 intr. (foll. by for) feel anxiety or apprehension about (feared for my life).
3 tr. apprehend; have uneasy expectation of (fear the worst).
4 tr. (usu. foll. by that + clause) apprehend with fear or regret (I fear that you are wrong).
5 tr. a (foll. by to + infin.) hesitate. b (foll. by verbal noun) shrink from; be apprehensive about (he feared meeting his ex-wife).
6 tr. show reverence towards.

Idiom:
for fear of (or that) to avoid the risk of (or that). never fear there is no danger of that. no fear colloq. expressing strong denial or refusal. without fear or favour impartially.

Etymology:
OE f. Gmc

N  discontent, discontentment, dissatisfaction, dissent, disappointment, mortification, cold comfort, regret, repining, taking on, heart-burning, heart-grief, querulousness, hypercriticism, inquietude, vexation of spirit, soreness, worry, concern, fear, malcontent, grumbler, growler, croaker, dissident, dissenter, laudator temporis acti, censurer, complainer, fault-finder, murmerer, cave of Adullam, indignation meeting, winter of our discontent, with what I most enjoy contented least, discontented, dissatisfied, unsatisfied, ungratified, dissident, dissentient, malcontent, malcontented, exigent, exacting, hypercritical, repining, regretful, down in the mouth, in high dudgeon, in a fume, in the sulks, in the dumps, in bad humor, glum, sulky, sour as a crab, soured, sore, out of humor, out of temper, disappointing, unsatisfactory, frustrated (failure), Int, so much the worse!, that won't do, that will never do, it will never do, curtae nescio quid semper abest rei, ne Jupiter Quidem omnibus placet, poor in abundance, famished at a feast.

N  fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence, apprehensiveness, fearfulness, solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving, feeze, mistrust, suspicion, qualm, hesitation, nervousness, restlessness, inquietude, disquietude, worry, concern, batophobia, heartquake, flutter, trepidation, fear and trembling, perturbation, tremor, quivering, shaking, trembling, throbbing heart, palpitation, ague fit, cold sweat, abject fear, mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency, despair, fright, affright, affrightment, boof alarm, dread, awe, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic, scare, stampede (of horses), intimidation, terrorism, reign of terror, bug bear, bugaboo, scarecrow, hobgoblin, nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum, bete noire, enfant terrible, alarmist, fearing, frightened, in fear, in a fright, haunted with the fear of, afeard, afraid, fearful, timid, timorous, nervous, diffident, coy, faint- hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety, more frightened than hurt, aghast, awe-stricken, horror-stricken, terror-stricken, panic- stricken, awestruck, awe-stricken, horror-struck, frightened to death, white as a sheet, pale, pale as a ghost, pale as death, pale as ashes, breathless, in hysterics, inspiring fear, alarming, formidable, redoubtable, perilous, portentous, fearful, dread, dreadful, fell, dire, direful, shocking, terrible, terrific, tremendous, horrid, horrible, horrific, ghastly, awful, awe-inspiring, revolting, Gorgonian, in terrorem, Int, angels and ministers of grace defend us!, ante tubam trepidat, horresco referens, one's heart failing one, obstupui steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit, a dagger of the mind, expertus metuit, fain would I climb but that I fear to fall, fear is the parent of cruelty, Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire, omnia tuta timens, our fears do make us traitors.

VB  fear, stand in awe of, be afraid, have qualms, apprehend, sit upon thorns, eye askance, distrust, hesitate, falter, funk, cower, crouch, skulk, let 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would' take fright, take alarm, start, wince, flinch, shy, shrink, fly, tremble, shake, shiver, shiver in one's shoes, shudder, flutter, shake like an aspen leaf, tremble like an aspen leaf, tremble all over, quake, quaver, quiver, quail, grow pale, turn pale, blench, stand aghast, not dare to say one's soul is one's own, inspire fear, excite fear, inspire awe, excite awe, raise apprehensions, be in a daze, bulldoze, faze, feeze, give an alarm, raise an alarm, sound an alarm, alarm, startle, scare, cry 'wolf', disquiet, dismay, fright, frighten, terrify, astound, fright from one's propriety, fright out of one's senses, fright out of one's wits, fright out of one's seven senses, awe, strike all of a heap, strike an awe into, strike terror, harrow up the soul, appall, unman, petrify, horrify, pile on the agony, make one's flesh creep, make one's hair stand on end, make one's blood run cold, make one's teeth chatter, take away one's breath, stop one's breath, make one tremble, haunt, prey on the mind, weigh on the mind, put in fear, put in bodily fear, terrorize, intimidate, cow, daunt, overawe, abash, deter, discourage, browbeat, bully, threaten.

N  cowardice, pusillanimity, cowardliness, timidity, effeminacy, poltroonery, baseness, dastardness, dastardy, abject fear, funk, Dutch courage, fear, white feather, faint heart, cold feet, yellow streak, coward, poltroon, dastard, sneak, recreant, shy cock, dunghill cock, coistril, milksop, white liver, lily liver, nidget, one that cannot say 'boo' to a goose, slink, Bob Acres, Jerry Sneak, alarmist, terrorist, pessimist, runagate, coward, cowardly, fearful, shy, timid, timorous, skittish, poor- spirited, spiritless, soft, effeminate, weak-minded, infirm of purpose, weak-hearted, fainthearted, chickenhearted, henhearted, lilyhearted, pigeon-hearted, white- livered, lily-livered, milk-livered, milksop, smock-faced, unable to say 'boo' to a goose, dastard, dastardly, base, craven, sneaking, dunghill, recreant, unwarlike, unsoldier-like, in face a lion but in heart a deer, unmanned, frightened, Int, sauve qui peut!, every man for himself!, devil take the hindmost!, ante tubam trepidat, one's courage oozing out, degeneres animos timor arguit.

cape fear, cape fear river, fear inspiring