Learn English Vocabulary: Talking about FEAR

You learn something every day if you pay attention. ~Ray LeBlond

Fear vocabulary

Vocabulary of fear

We can talk about things that frighten us by using these words:scare, fright, terrify and fear. To be scared/frightened/terrified of + noun Alice is scared of heights. He's frightened of spiders. They're terrified of exams. Passive form: Heights scare Alice. Dogs terrify me. Loud noises always frighten him. To get a fright She gets a fright every time she hears a dog bark. I got such a fright when I saw the mouse. To have/have got a fear of + noun I've a real fear of speaking in public. He's got a fear of horses.

Phobias

The word 'phobia' comes from the Greek for 'fear'. In English we can make words with the 'phobia' at the end to describe types of fears. These phobias are nouns. "She suffers from arachnophobia. If she even sees a picture of a spider, she starts crying". The noun to describe the person with a phobia is phobic. For example, "He can't go in lifts because he's claustrophobic". acrophobia fear of heights arachnophobia fear of spiders agoraphobia fear of open or public spaces claustrophobia fear of closed or small spaces technophobia fear of new things (especially technology)

Expressions and idioms of fear

To talk about when something or someone gives you a fright, you can use these expressions: To scare the living daylights out of someone I thought I was the only one in the house so when he walked into the room, he scared the living daylights out of me. To get the fright of your life I got the fright of my life when she crept up behind me and shouted "Boo!"

Vocabulary

architecture style in which buildings are made sway move slowly from side to side acrophobia fear of heights  more at BBC LEARNING