fear vb. (1 was the orig. meaning of the vb. in Anglo-Saxon; 2 is now used only intr.)
1.
to frighten,
scare
Meas. II. i. 2
“a scarecrow . . . to
the
birds of prey,”
Shr. I. ii. 214
“ boys with
bugs,”
3H6 V. ii. 2
“Warwick was a bug that
f-'d us all,”
Lr. III. v. 4
“How . . . I may be
censured, . . . something fears me to
think of.”
2.
to be apprehensive or
concerned about, (hence) mistrust, doubt Wiv. IV. iv. 80,
Err. IV. iv. 1
“ me
not, man; I will not break away,”
Ado III. i. 31
“ you
not my part of the dialogue,”
Shr. IV. iv. 10,
R3 I. i. 137
“his physicians him
mightily,”
Cor. III. ii. 126, Ham. IV. v. 122.
3.
to be afraid “of”
Sonn. cxv. 9.
