Gefürchteter

Gefürchteter is a German adjective meaning “feared” or “dreaded.” It is formed from the verb fürchten with the prefix ge- to create the past participle gefürchtet, which functions as an adjective. In attributive position it declines like a regular adjective, with endings determined by gender, number, and case. For example: masculine nominative singular — gefürchteter Mann; feminine nominative singular — gefürchtete Frau; neuter nominative singular — gefürchtetes Kind; plural without a article — gefürchtete Gegner; plural with a definite article — die gefürchteten Gegner.

Usage and nuance: gefürchteter describes a person or thing that is widely feared or regarded with respect to fear. It is commonly found in historical, political, or literary contexts and often conveys a strong, formal tone. It can describe individuals (a gefürchteter General, a gefürchteter Gegner), groups, or abstract things (eine gefürchtete Krankheit). The term emphasizes reputation for fear rather than immediate danger.

Relation to related forms: the uninflected past participle gefürchtet is used predicatively after a linking verb (for example, Er ist gefürchtet, meaning “he is feared”). The attributive form gefürchteter is thus one of several inflected forms derived from the same participle, with endings aligning to standard German adjective declension rules. Synonyms or closely related expressions include gefürchtet, furchterregend, or furchtbar, depending on intensity and nuance.

See also: fürchten; gefürchtet (predicative past participle); furchterregend; sprachstil and register notes for historical or literary German.