"My palms are sweaty, my knees are weak, and I can hear the blood pounding in my ears. I see the crowd and immediately freeze up." Have you ever felt something like this?

Maybe you were second-guessing a choice you had to make and thought something like: "I want to audition for the school play. I hope I don't chicken out."

A girl curled up in the corner of a ballet class, curled into a ball. Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

The English language is unique because there are so many different ways to express similar feelings. There are many words and phrases to help you express your fear!

Phrasal Verbs for Fear

Phrasal verbs have two or more words: a verb (action word), and a preposition (talking about time, place, or relationship). They work together to have one meaning. Phrasal verbs can be helpful when describing fear.

Some common examples of phrasal verbs for fear include:

  • freeze up: to be suddenly unable to speak or to act normally.

    Example: "I have a fear of public speaking. As soon as I see a crowd of people, I freeze up."

  • chicken out: to decide not to do something out of fear, usually at the last minute.

    Example: "I wanted to audition for the school play, but I am afraid. I hope I don't chicken out."

A man says to another,

Quiz

Elsa is learning English with her friends. She wants to to describe feeling afraid. What are some phrasal verbs she can use?

More Phrasal Verbs for Fear

You can use many phrasal verbs to talk about fear:

Freak out means to become extremely afraid (or cause someone to feel that way). 😱

Some common examples of this are:

  • I don’t want to freak out, but I think I lost my passport at the airport.

  • The big dog in the yard freaked us out.

Scare off means to make someone afraid, so that they go away or don't do something. 😨

Some common examples include:

  • The loud noise scared off the burglars.

  • High prices can scare off customers.

Fear for means to feel worry or concern that something bad might happen to someone or something. 🙀

Some common examples include:

  • I fear for my cat. She is very sick.

  • I fear for my house in this tropical storm.

Quiz

Else just auditioned for the school play. She sang well but didn't give her best performance because she was really nervous. What happened? Select any answers that makes sense:

Idioms for Fear

One of the ways that we can do that is to use idioms. An idiom is a phrase that has a figurative meaning. In other words, it's an expression whose meaning is different from the actual words.

Think: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" We usually know that a person who says this is very hungry, but we know they don't want to eat an actual horse!

When talking about fear, there are three phrases that I like to use because they help to emphasize the emotion and meaning behind what I am feeling.

An action figure shaking, making a scared face with its eyes popping out of its head.

  1. Scared stiff

    You can use "scared stiff" when you're extremely afraid — especially when you feel paralyzed (like you can't move).

    Example: "I was scared stiff when I heard footsteps behind me in the dark."

  2. Scared out of my wits

    Scared out of my wits is another expression used to describe an intense feeling of fear. Being "scared out of your wits" means you can't think clearly.

    Example: "He got scared out of his wits when he saw a snake in the grass."

  3. Jumped out of my skin

    When using the phrase "'jumped out of my skin", usually this means that you feel startled or suddenly scared. This phrase shows that you are reacting physically by jumping or jerking quickly.

    Example: "When I was watching the movie, I jumped out of my skin when the ghost came out of the closet."

Quiz

Teresa is home alone and hears a loud crash coming from the garage. She is scared and has a physical reaction to this. What can she tell her friends later?

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice is one of the best ways to learn English. While it might be intimidating, the intention is not to scare you off from practicing! (See what I did there!)

Scrabble letters on a white background spelling out the word Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

How do I learn about words & phrases that describe fear?

Different words and phrases talking about fear are everywhere. Try adding these to your next conversation. There are a few tips that can help get you feeling more confident:

  1. Keep a vocabulary journal.

    Write down any new vocabulary terms that you encounter. Include their meanings and examples of the context — or how and where you heard it used.

  2. Get feedback or have a practice partner.

    Having someone to practice with is an important step in learning English and using different parts of speech. Find someone to practice with by looking for conversation clubs or classes — lots of these are offered at local public libraries!

  3. Be patient with yourself.

    Learning English is hard! The practice of noticing is a large part of the journey toward getting better.

Take Action

Remember: Learning a language takes time. Go slowly and learn step by step. It’s important to practice in places where you feel safe and comfortable.

Patrick Stewart in Star Trek, dressed in red shirt, motioning, saying

There are a few things that can be helpful as you practice. Remember to:

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