Meanings
god-fearing1
comparative more god-fearing · superlative most god-fearing
- alternativeAlternative form of God-fearing and of godfearing.
God-fearing2
comparative more God-fearing · superlative most God-fearing · alternative godfearing · alternative god-fearing
- lifestyleFollowing the precepts of a religious practice; respecting and revering God and his authority.
Margie married Bill, a good, God-fearing Christian.
1 more example
The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishgodfyrht
- Middle Englishgodfriht
- Middle Englishgoddfrihti
- EnglishGod-fearing
From God + fearing, likely a continuation (in altered form) of earlier Middle English goddfrihti, gode-frigti (“god-fearing”), variants of Middle English godfriht, gode-friht, godfruht, god-furht, from Old English godfyrht, godefriht (“god-fearing”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐍃 (gudafaurhts, “god-fearing, devout”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic وَرِع, تَقِيّ
- وَرِع (wariʕ)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- تَقِيّ (taqiyy)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Dutch godvrezend
- godvrezendfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Finnish jumalaapelkäävä
- jumalaapelkääväfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
French religieux, craignant Dieu
- religieuxfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- craignant Dieufollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
German gottesfürchtig
- gottesfürchtigfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Greek θεοφοβούμενος
- θεοφοβούμενος (theofovoúmenos)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Hebrew יְרֵא אֱלקִים
- יְרֵא אֱלקִים (y’re elqim)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Hungarian istenfélő
- istenfélőfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Italian timorato di Dio
- timorato di Diofollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Latin pius, sanctus
- piusfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- sanctusfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Norwegian Bokmål gudfryktig
- gudfryktigfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Polish bogobojny, pobożny
- bogobojnyfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- pobożnyfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Portuguese pio, devoto
- piofollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- devotofollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- temente a Deusfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Russian богобоя́зненный, богобоязли́вый
- богобоя́зненный (bogobojáznennyj)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- богобоязли́вый (bogobojazlívyj)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Spanish pío, devoto
- píofollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- devotofollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- temeroso de Diosfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Swedish gudfruktig
- gudfruktigfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Tagalog may takot sa Diyos
- may takot sa Diyosfollowing the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Ukrainian богобоязли́вий, богобоя́зний
- богобоязли́вий (bohobojazlývyj)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- богобоя́зний (bohobojáznyj)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
- богобоязки́й (bohobojazkýj)following the precepts of a religious practice and respects and reveres god and his authority
Cite this entry
god-fearing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/god-fearing
“god-fearing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/god-fearing. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “god-fearing,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/god-fearing.
Source: god-fearing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.