Meaning & use
fearless
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Not afraid of danger or risk, and willing to face it boldly.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a fearless climber, she was fearless.
Patterns
- fearless in something
- fearless about doing something
The fearless firefighter ran back into the burning building.
As a child she was fearless and climbed every tree on the street.
They admired the journalist's fearless reporting.
adjectivecomparableapproving
Showing a willingness to speak or act honestly, even if it may upset powerful people.
Grammar: Often describes honesty or opinions: a fearless critic.
Patterns
- fearless in doing something
The editor was fearless in criticizing the mayor.
Her fearless honesty won her both friends and enemies.
The team gave fearless feedback during the review.
Word forms
| comparative | more fearless |
|---|---|
| superlative | most fearless |
Common combinations
- fearless leader
- Their fearless leader guided them through the storm.
- fearless approach
- The startup took a fearless approach to new markets.
- utterly fearless
- The young skier was utterly fearless on steep slopes.
- fearless honesty
- His fearless honesty made him trusted.
- fearless about change
- She was fearless about change and learned new skills quickly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brave
- Brave describes acting well despite fear, whereas fearless suggests feeling little or no fear at all.
- courageous
- Courageous is more formal and stresses moral strength in hard moments, while fearless is simpler and more physical.
- bold
- Bold suggests confidence and a willingness to stand out, and can sometimes sound rude, which fearless does not.
- intrepid
- Intrepid is used mainly of explorers and adventurers on risky journeys.
Opposites
Word family
- fear noun
- the feeling of being afraid
- fearlessly adverb
- in a brave way, without fear
- fearlessness noun
- the quality of having no fear
- fearful adjective
- afraid or worried
Commonly confused: fearless or careless?
fearless vs careless
Careless means not taking enough care, while fearless means not afraid; a fearless person may still be very careful.
Practice
The explorer was ____ and walked straight into the dark cave.
Choose one answer.
Fearless fits someone who walks straight into a dark cave without fear. Fearful and hesitant describe the opposite behavior.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fearless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.