fearful

What it means

1. Frightening; causing fear.

   Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me, But let them hear what fearful words I utter.

   c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]

   1 more example

   In the later Hebrew midrash Lilith is presented as the woman who knows how to recite the fearful name of God to work calamity; that this little girl cries out the fearful name of the sun god and thereby causes an earthquake would indicate that this girl is linked in the structure of the myth with Lilith.

   1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 184

2. Tending to fear; timid.

   a fearful boy

   1 more example

   There can be few tautologies purer than the phrase "antisocial motoring". Nothing could be more antisocial than locking oneself into a steel box before hurtling down a Tarmac scar, cleaving urban and rural communities or unspoiled natural havens, past children held tight in the fearful grip of nervous parents while you fart toxic fumes in their general direction.

   2013 June 5, Ally Fogg, “How can you make driving more antisocial than it already is?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 18 Mar 2017

3. datedTerrible; shockingly bad.

   "What an awful infliction for you, Max. You were always such an impulsive, reckless sort of fellow—never quiet. You must miss such a fearful lot."

   1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

   1 more example

   But every day after dinner, for an hour, we were all together, and then the Favourite and the rest of the Royal Hareem competed who should most beguile the leisure of the Serene Haroun reposing from the cares of State — which were generally, as in most affairs of State, of an arithmetical character, the Commander of the Faithful being a fearful boggler at a sum.

   1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House

In a sentence

Sirs, stop their mouths, let them not speak to me, But let them hear what fearful words I utter.

c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishferful
2. Englishfearful

From Middle English ferful, fervol, equivalent to fear + -ful.