feared
Afraid; scared of something.
Also called afeared, afeard, feart.
Updated September 21, 2026
feared pronunciation
/FEERD/
Meaning
In rural Southern and Appalachian talk, "I'm feared" means "I'm afraid," same job as afeared with the front syllable clipped off. You hear it about snakes, storms, bad news, or walking a dark road. Not the same as saying something was "feared" as in dreaded by folks. This one is personal nerves.
How folks use it
- “I'm feared of that old bull when he gets in a mood.”
- “She was feared to tell Daddy what happened to the truck.”
Origin and etymology
Closely tied to afeared, an old English form meaning afraid that hung on in Southern, Midland, and mountain speech after standard English preferred "afraid." Dropping the a- gives you feared. Scots and Ulster forms like feart run in the same family and traveled with settlers into Appalachia.
Frequently asked questions
Is feared different from afeared?
Same basic meaning. Afeared keeps the older full shape; feared is the shorter country form.