I. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be feared dead (= used when someone is missing and people are worried that they are dead )
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Hundreds of people are feared dead in a ferry disaster.
be filled with horror/fear/anger/doubt/remorse
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Their faces were suddenly filled with fear.
calm...fears
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We tried to calm people’s fears .
chill of fear/apprehension/disquiet etc
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Fay felt a chill of fear as she watched Max go off with her daughter.
confirm your fears/doubts/suspicions etc
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This just confirms my worst fears.
conquer your nerves/fear
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She was determined to conquer her fear of flying.
crazed with grief/pain/fear etc
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He was crazed with grief after the death of his mother.
dismiss fears
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The Transport Minister dismissed fears that the Cotswold railway line would close.
fear and loathing
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The nightmare left her with a sense of fear and loathing .
fear for sb’s safety (= be afraid that they will not be safe )
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They fear for the safety of relatives they have left behind.
fear of contradiction
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You can say what you like without fear of contradiction .
fear of failure
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Fear of failure should not deter you from trying.
for fear of reprisal
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They didn’t tell the police for fear of reprisal .
instil confidence/fear/discipline etc into sb
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A manager’s job is to instil determination into his players.
mad with grief/fear/jealousy etc
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When she heard of her son’s death, she was mad with grief.
morbid fear
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The trip was made all the worse by Frankie’s morbid fear of flying.
numb with shock/fear/terror etc
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I just sat there, numb with fear.
petrified with fright/fear
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He was petrified with fear when he saw the gun.
quake with fear/fright/anger etc
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Richmond was quaking with fury.
quiver of fear/anxiety/anticipation etc
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I felt a quiver of excitement run through me.
raises fears
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This attack raises fears of increased violence against foreigners.
sb’s eyes are full of hatred/fear etc
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The prisoners stared at him, their eyes full of hatred.
sb’s hopes and fears (= all the things someone hopes for and is afraid of )
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The crew members have different hopes and fears about the trip.
sb’s hopes/fears/plans for the future
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What are your hopes for the future?
sense sb’s fear/excitement/reluctance etc
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Luke paused and she sensed his reluctance to continue.
shake with anger/fear etc
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He stood there shaking with anger.
shiver with cold/fear/delight etc
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She shivered with fear and anger.
stoke fear/anger/envy etc
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The scandal has stoked public outrage.
tremble with anger/fear etc
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Greene was on his feet now, his body trembling with rage.
unhealthy interest/obsession/fear etc
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Gareth had an unhealthy interest in death.
white with anger/fear etc
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Her voice shook, and her face was white with anger.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
great
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And every parent's greatest fear: could my child be abducted?.
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But greater than her fear was the need of that which she bore.
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She was beset of a sudden by a great fear ... She was utterly alone now.
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But despite their fears of disease, the men still visited us, propelled by the greater fear of death.
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Yet aside from that, my admiration for him as a person is perhaps as great as my fear of him.
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Seminoles and blacks then stormed through Florida, attacking settlements and creating great fear among the white inhabitants.
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He only knew that in his anxious and over-concerned life his second greatest fear was that she might leave.
ill
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Alcuin's worst fears were not fulfilled until 806.
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The audit demonstrated that many of their worst fears were true.
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The message was short and cryptic and Corbett's worst fears were realised.
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Or would it confirm their worst fears ?
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Her worst fear had been that Jake would show up before they had even left Lomond View.
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But now, my worst fears have been borne out.
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The worst fears of the residents were realised as the port was an immediate commercial success and heavy traffic quickly built up.
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But the new picture confirms environmentalists' worst fears .
irrational
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She kept repeating to herself that it was an irrational fear , but logic did nothing to quell the lurking terror.
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Even among those not so badly affected, ignorance about radiation produces powerful if sometimes irrational fear .
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If your subject to these irrational fears , then use that fear as a trigger to change your attitude.
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I have an irrational fear that Lucker will blank me.
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It seems that anxious people condition most easily and it is thought that irrational fears are established in this way.
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Again, careful teaching is important as well as loving discussion of these often irrational fears .
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Their reactions can range from anger to irrational guilt, fear and embarrassment.
real
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The real fear that this revolution might overthrow the Tsar forced him to make some political concessions to appease the masses.
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The threat of violence and real fear of revolution prompted the Government to adopt limited constitutional changes.
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Little wonder then that the prospect of a Solidarity-led government clashing with Solidarity-led trade unions is a real fear to those involved.
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It was necessary to acknowledge that the white minority had real fears about what would happen to them.
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The Review Panel now inspires real fear in company directors.
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The speed of others creates the real fear of being left behind.
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And there's a very real fear the travellers will return for the concert.
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But these were screams of real fear and soon I heard shouts and the sound of fighting from Antoinette's room.
■ VERB
allay
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Counselling should explore the employee's concerns about the move and try to allay fears .
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In this way he can discuss current information with his wife and help to allay her fears .
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Kelly argues that the removal of the requirement to aid decision-makers would allay fears .
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Even the precautions he took could not allay her fears and it wasn't too long before he gave up trying.
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Some Alliance supporters made statements that did little to allay such fears .
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The virtual extinction of the dragon sister tutor should also help to allay your fears .
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But he failed to allay fears that he will be a fatally flawed candidate when pitted against President Bush next autumn.
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It might not allay fears , but it will clarify them.
calm
▪
Midland Bank, one of the trustees of the Dumenil funds, stepped in to calm investors' fears .
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Jonnie spoke to calm his fears .
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If this made companies tremble, David Tweedie's pronouncements will have done nothing to calm their fears .
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But her host's calm demeanour as he scribbled a few notes and went on to the next call calmed her fears .
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The sounds of gunfire and shelling didn't do anything to calm my fears .
confirm
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Sure enough, to confirm our worst fears , the wind grew stronger in the evening.
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But the new picture confirms environmentalists' worst fears .
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An hour later, when the shock was over, he confirmed my fears: I had broken two ribs.
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Bob learned to demand a bit less without confirming his worst fears .
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The appointment made conservatives nervous, seemingly confirming their fears that a liberal onslaught was imminent.
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Hearing you on the telephone just seemed to confirm my worst fears , and I didn't stop to reason things through.
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A volley of bullets immediately peppered the ground directly in front of the doorway, confirming her worst fears .
express
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While the area had been designated a National Archaeological Reserve, he expressed fear of looting from the site.
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Conservatives and civil libertarians alike had expressed fears over the provisions limiting federal appeals for prisoners.
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A resident of Kimbolton Road expressed the fear that the new infirmary might be prejudicial to his property.
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But many across the nation expressed fears that higher speeds will lead to more deaths.
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Earlier, Selby's brother Jon expressed fears that the authorities were planning military action.
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The streets of Baghdad functioned as normal Saturday, but people expressed fear of more air strikes.
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Clive expressed his distrust and fear of being let down by a very detached attitude in all his relationships.
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His foes immediately expressed fear he will launch new attacks on them.
feel
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Resting there, in the protection of the mighty canopy, was an object which made him feel faint with fear .
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He felt little fear now about doing what he had to do.
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No doubt they could feel surprise or fear and had, perhaps, some capacity for shame, remorse or even deceit.
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On the landing outside her bedroom door she suddenly felt weak with fear .
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He'd marked her as he left, wanting to feel her fear .
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She felt her ignorance and fear sweep down on her head.
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Often they have a kind of superstitious feeling that once their fears are spoken, they may come true.
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And for a moment Glover had felt a wave of fear for the boys.
fill
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His voice was filled with dread and fear and heavy weights.
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The younger ones were filled with innocent fear .
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Yes, we love them, but their power over us fills us with fear and gnawing guilt.
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Her mind was filled with fears and hopes, the principal one being the same for her as for him.
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His eyes, which, moments earlier, had been filled with fear and horror, were now clear, almost calm.
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But it was not the sight of Sir Hugo or the girl that filled the men with fear .
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But suddenly she was filled with another fear - about the wisdom of staying on in such close proximity with him.
live
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It's a cliche to say people are living in fear , but sadly it's all too true in Larne.
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The town was a cluster of different quarters, all living in fear of massacre.
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Adults went home, listened to quiet music, lived in disbelief and fear .
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Orphans of Addiction Children whose parents abuse drugs live daily with fear , neglect and helplessness.
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Would she have to live permanently with the fear that she had failed him?
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Sometimes he hit me, sometimes he just threatened me, and I lived in terrible fear of him.
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And Karen, the controller living in fear of the cost-cutting chief financial officer?
lose
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But you can talk to your boss about the fear that you might lose your job.
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Just as tension spoils the golf swing, the fear of losing our job becomes paralyzing and makes the loss more likely.
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And you know, too, that you need have no fear of losing me when I marry.
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Gonzalez insisted that fears of lost momentum should not be a concern.
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Now the workers whose complaints started the probe fear they could lose their jobs.
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A deeper fear inside the immediate fear of being lost in the dark.
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They equally fear losing power through the ballot box.
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First, we have a fear of losing control.
overcome
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Last night's film examined a one-day course which helps people overcome their fear of flying.
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Boys who need to show that they can overcome their fear or that they have none.
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Does being brave mean being strong or overcoming our fears ?
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She had overcome her fear of Rhayader.
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This kind of firm overcame that fear , Mr Muirhead said.
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To see clues that others have overlooked, to face danger and overcome fear .
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Once people overcome their fears about computers and begin to use them in telecottages, they acquire their own equipment.
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Most refuse to defy the cultural definition of masculinity, to overcome their fears , or to relinquish their male privilege.
raise
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Their happy marriage, their seeming perfection, was porcelain: they daren't raise their voices for fear of shattering it.
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The prospect of censorship in cyberspace has raised fears and sparked debates over decency and privacy.
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Over the last three years, tiger numbers have fallen from 44 to 15, raising fears for their viability.
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The actions raised fears of a renewal of the nationalist infighting that killed 12 people last year.
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Does the reporting raise women's fear of crime?
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This has already raised fears among foreign governments that the administration is not speaking with one voice on vital international issues.
strike
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Besides, her presence wasn't likely to strike fear into this large man.
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A thought struck me, bringing fear with it.
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If there is a single subject guaranteed to strike fear in the hearts of parents, it is drugs.
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Nothing here to strike fear into the hearts of the people.
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Believe me, all those cannon, mortars and volley guns should strike fear into the heart of the enemy.
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There is no procedure that strikes more fear and trepidation into the hearts of the ignorant and misinformed than the lumbar puncture.
tremble
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Before I had heard a dozen words, I was trembling with fear .
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My legs had begun to tremble , with fear now, not anger.
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Thus she left them, and Metaneira fell speechless to the earth and all there trembled with fear .
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Her body was trembling with fear .
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Eli has been trembling with fear for the ark.
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Then I saw that his bloodless lips were pulled back from his huge white teeth ... I trembled with fear and horror.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
allay (sb's) fear/concern/suspicion etc
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But he failed to allay fears that he will be a fatally flawed candidate when pitted against President Bush next autumn.
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In an attempt to allay these concerns, Rhone and other staff members met with citizens from the rehabilitation area several times.
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In this way he can discuss current information with his wife and help to allay her fears.
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Kelly argues that the removal of the requirement to aid decision-makers would allay fears.
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Margaret came from a wealthy family, and Richard was anxious to allay any suspicion that he had married for money.
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Sly had to allay their suspicions and stop them probing any further.
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Some Alliance supporters made statements that did little to allay such fears.
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The virtual extinction of the dragon sister tutor should also help to allay your fears.
be frozen with fear/terror/fright
fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)
mortal fear/dread/terror
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She held herself raised by her great prosperity above all that ordinary mortals fear and reverence.
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The crew is in mortal terror.
never fear
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But never fear, Nephew Tom.
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Dry your tears, we are here, never fear.
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Feedback Your Letters to the Editor More loony letters than usual this month, but never fear - we can take it.
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For, never fear, I shall be trying again in the near future to succeed with this frustrating catfish.
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If that describes you, never fear.
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She felt as if she had never feared anything.
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They had never feared him before.
sb's worst fears were realized
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My worst fears were realized when I saw the test questions.
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His worst fears were realized and he was arrested.
stab of pain/disappointment/fear etc
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As Grant hurried down the narrow concrete stairs, he felt the first warning stab of pain in his torn thigh muscle.
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I bit my arm and was grateful for the stab of pain, for the resistance of the bone beneath the skin.
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I felt a sharp stab of disappointment and was surprised and angry at myself.
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Instinctively he rolled in the saddle and felt the white-hot stab of pain as something sharp scored a line across his shoulders.
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She stretched, and little stabs of pain shot through her.
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Supposing, he thought, with a stab of fear, he was never going to have any friends?
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The policeman pinched his eyes as if overcome with a sudden stab of pain.
strike terror/fear into sb's heart
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Believe me, all those cannon, mortars and volley guns should strike fear into the heart of the enemy.
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Every crisis would strike terror into the hearts of people everywhere.
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Nothing here to strike fear into the hearts of the people.
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The Slav opposition collapsed almost immediately, as if the very name of Charles had struck terror into their hearts.
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The very physical description of the Huns proved sufficient in and of itself to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies.
tingle with excitement/fear/anticipation etc
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I jerked back, tingling with fear, feeling it peel off like a strand of elastoplast.
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I remember walking into the board room tingling with fear and energy.
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My face was tingling with fear and I felt in imminent need of a toilet-roll.
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We were tingling with anticipation and at one with our surroundings.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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fear of flying
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Fears of a recession have wiped billions of dollars off share values.
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Curiosity overcame her fear .
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Her hands were shaking with fear .
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I glanced around in fear . Was someone following me?
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McCarthy exploited deep-seated fears about communism among the American people.
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My fear of the dentist goes back to when I was a child.
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On New Year's Eve we come together, and share our hopes and fears for the coming year.
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People fled in fear of their lives, as mud began to pour down the mountainside.
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The boat had gone. We stood frozen with fear , staring at the sea.
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The boy's eyes were full of fear .
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There was always the fear that he might never return.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A tingle of fear mixed with excitement came over me.
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Her fears were groundless and she slid the door back.
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Meditation for scared warriors Where does fear come from, Lord?
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The fear is that if they are published, Parliament will pass a law against smearing politicians.
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The overhang has continued because companies held back shutdowns for fear of helping competitors.
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These men were despots, meaning they could kill their subjects without fear of retribution.
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With all these men, however, their egos are clearly strong enough to overcome any residual fear of the feminine.
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With their eyes erect and fear in their speed they run for the safety of the waves.
II. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
government
▪
After the war MI5 turned its attention to the growing menace of Bolshevism which the government feared would soon engulf the country.
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The provisional government , fearing that Santa Anna might be the source of later trouble, agreed to his departure.
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Both governments fear censure if the fuel is shipped around the world again.
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The federal government fears that other states are likely to follow suit.
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The good name of Government , ministers feared , was being damaged.
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And the vagaries of a jury were possibly another consideration: the government fearing the libertarian qualities of juries.
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The socialist government feared a loss of government to the C.N.T. unless they held out a revolutionary future to the social masses.
official
▪
Course officials fear the seized batch isn't the end of the story.
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And at the Oyster Creek nuclear plant in southern New Jersey, employees were evacuated by officials who feared an earthquake.
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If the drought continues, officials fear it could drive cattle producers and farmers out of business permanently.
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The fuel behind the rabies terror may be the fear of local health officials .
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Gwinnett school officials say they fear the same fate when they turn to voters for more money next year.
reason
▪
For that reason Minh Mang feared potentially disruptive ideas and practices.
▪
So Chelsea had more reason than alliteration to fear a third successive failure to reach the third round.
▪
Reporters have good reason to fear the anger of good sources.
▪
For the same reason , I fear that an accountant's expert knowledge of tax havens may once again be a saleable commodity.
▪
As to fear , who would have reason to fear Francis?
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Both rulers had reason to fear .
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But not for the reasons some had feared .
safety
▪
Locals began to fear for her safety .
▪
All along, authorities feared for their safety , because du Pont is an expert marksmen with a large gun collection.
▪
It is unnecessary to produce a person who fears for his safety .
▪
Male speaker I fear that safety standards will go down the drain as people seek to make most profit.
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At several hospitals, emergency room personnel said they increasingly fear for their own safety .
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Nevertheless, Sidonius did fear for the safety of his own family in the aftermath of the accession of Nepos.
■ VERB
raise
▪
And didn't it, in many ways, shape the whole presidential debate, raising causes that others feared to touch?
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be frozen with fear/terror/fright
expect/fear the worst
▪
Distillery boss Billy Hamilton fears the worst after Heath was assisted off in the second-half with a torn calf muscle.
▪
From what he has heard he fears the worst about the likelihood of a quick turnaround on the field.
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I knew I was being irrational but I began to fear the worst .
▪
Leading the mob assault into the fisherman's cabin, the pastor expects the worst .
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Only then did we begin to fear the worst .
▪
Quite frankly we expected the worst .
fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)
mortal fear/dread/terror
▪
She held herself raised by her great prosperity above all that ordinary mortals fear and reverence.
▪
The crew is in mortal terror.
never fear
▪
But never fear, Nephew Tom.
▪
Dry your tears, we are here, never fear.
▪
Feedback Your Letters to the Editor More loony letters than usual this month, but never fear - we can take it.
▪
For, never fear, I shall be trying again in the near future to succeed with this frustrating catfish.
▪
If that describes you, never fear.
▪
She felt as if she had never feared anything.
▪
They had never feared him before.
stab of pain/disappointment/fear etc
▪
As Grant hurried down the narrow concrete stairs, he felt the first warning stab of pain in his torn thigh muscle.
▪
I bit my arm and was grateful for the stab of pain, for the resistance of the bone beneath the skin.
▪
I felt a sharp stab of disappointment and was surprised and angry at myself.
▪
Instinctively he rolled in the saddle and felt the white-hot stab of pain as something sharp scored a line across his shoulders.
▪
She stretched, and little stabs of pain shot through her.
▪
Supposing, he thought, with a stab of fear, he was never going to have any friends?
▪
The policeman pinched his eyes as if overcome with a sudden stab of pain.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Fearing a blizzard, many people stayed home.
▪
He was a ruthless dictator, feared by the entire country.
▪
Many of the gang's victims refused to give information to the police because they feared reprisals.
▪
The rescuers dug slowly and carefully, fearing that the wreckage might collapse on top of them.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
At the age of thirty, Gertrude lay on her death-bed, fearing that she was unworthy of heaven.
▪
I feared the snow would bury the words beneath its drifts.
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If you see Mrs Meir, tell her I am not a person who fears anyone.
▪
Second, the actual difficulties encountered overseas appeared to be of a considerably lower order of intensity than had been feared.
▪
Some have decided not to return, fearing they will lose the pleasant images of memory they developed long ago.
▪
They say the only people who need fear the cameras are those doing somthing illegal.
▪
This will comfort those on the Labour side who most feared negative Nice fallout in an election year.
▪
Whitney, the butcher, who was feared for his savagery and barbarism.