Fearful, 1) filled with fear, afraid: “whereon with f. eyes they long have gazed,” Ven. 927. Meas. IV, 2, 204. Err. I, 1, 68. Mids. V, 101. Mids. V, 101 John IV, 2, 191 (“action).” R2 III, 2, 110. III, 3, 73. H4A IV, 1, 67 (faction). H4B Ind. 12 “(musters).” H6B III, 1, 331. H6C II, 2, 30. II, 5, 130. V, 4, 44. R3 IV, 2, 126. IV, 3, 51. IV, 4, 311. V, 1, 18. V, 3, 181. H8 V, 1, 87. Rom. III, 3, 1. Oth. I, 3, 12 (in f. sense) etc. “f. to do a thing,” Wint. I, 2, 258. “grow f. that you protect this course,” Lr. I, 4, 225. With of == a) fearing: “f. of him,” Ven. 630. “of infection,” Rom. V, 2, 16. b) fearing for: “f. of his life,” H6C V, 6, 87.
2) timorous, cowardly: “pursue these f. creatures,” Ven. 677. “virtue is bold, and goodness never f.” Meas. III, 1, 216. “of a f. heart,” As III, 3, 49. Wint. I, 2, 250. H6B III, 2, 224. IV, 4, 2. IV, 8, 44. H6C I, 1, 25. H6C I, 1, 25 V, 4, 7. Caes. V, 1, 10 (with f. bravery).
3) causing apprehension (Germ. bedenklich): “my house, left in the f. guard of an unthrifty knave,” Merch. I, 3, 176. “holy seems the quarrel upon your grace's part, black and f. on the opposer,” All's III, 1, 5. “you have some hideous matter to deliver, when the courtesy of it is so f.” Tw. I, 5, 222. “a f. eye thou hast,” John IV, 2, 106. “full of difficult weight and f. to be granted,” Oth. III, 3, 83.
4) dreadful, terrible: “bare and unpeopled in this f. flood,” Lucr. 1741. “O f. meditation!” Sonn. 65, 9. “he's gentle and not f.” Tp. I, 2, 468. “this f. country,” V, 106. Gentl. I, 2, 121. Meas. III, 1, 116. Mids. III, 1, 33. Wint. V, 1, 153. John I, 38. III, 1, 238. V, 6, 20. R2 II, 4, 11. H4A III, 2, 167. H4B IV, 1, 16. H5 IV, 3, 5. H6A IV, 2, 15. R3 I, 1, 11. I, 4, 14 (Ff heavy). I, 4, 14 V, 3, 97. V, 3, 97 Tit. III, 1, 253. Rom. Chor. Tit. III, 1, 253 Caes. I, 3, 78 etc. Superl. “--est,” R3 III, 4, 106. With to: “f. to their eyes,” H6C II, 2, 27.

