fearing

Fearing is the present participle of the verb fear and is used to describe the state of experiencing fear or anxiety. It can function as a participle in clauses, as in “fearing for her safety, she stayed indoors,” or as a gerund in constructions such as “fearing the worst, he waited quietly.”

In English grammar, fearing frequently introduces dependent clauses that express concern, anticipation, or motive. It appears in both formal and informal writing and can shift tone depending on context, from cautious to urgent. Like other -ing forms, fearing can serve as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence (for example, “Fearing the outcome,” or “His fearing the outcome was clear to all”).

Etymologically, the word fear derives from Old English and Proto-Germanic roots, and the present participle fearing is formed by adding the standard -ing suffix to the verb fear. This pattern is common across English and related Germanic languages, yielding a versatile form used across many registers.

Fearing is also a surname in English-language contexts. As with many surnames, its exact origin is not universally fixed in public records; it may have originated from descriptive, occupational, or toponymic sources, or from a historical association with a person or place named Fearing. The surname remains relatively uncommon but is found in various regions, particularly in areas with historical English settlement.

See also fear.