1. (

• fearful

) experiencing or showing fear; "a fearful glance"; "fearful of criticism" ;

2. (

• awful ,
• dire ,
• direful ,
• dread ,
• dreaded ,
• dreadful ,
• fearful ,
• fearsome ,
• frightening ,
• horrendous ,
• horrific ,
• terrible

) causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse" ;

3. (

• cowardly ,
• fearful ,

) lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted; "cowardly dogs, ye will not aid me then"- P.B.Shelley ;

4. (

• fearful ,
• frightful

) extremely distressing; "fearful slum conditions"; "a frightful mistake" ;

5. (

• fearful ,
• timorous ,
• trepid

) timid by nature or revealing timidity; "timorous little mouse"; "in a timorous tone"; "cast fearful glances at the large dog" ;