German word

Furcht

Pronunciation

IPA/fʊʁçt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfear

Example

Ich habe Furcht vor Fehlern.

I fear making mistakes.

Illustration for Furcht (fear)

More examples

Er trat auf die Bühne, ohne Furcht zu zeigen.

He stepped onto the stage without showing any fear.

Core concept

An approaching danger makes the body tense and the mind focus sharply on avoiding harm.

Common phrases

  • vor Furcht erstarren

    freeze with fear

  • keine Furcht zeigen

    show no fear

  • Furcht vor Veränderungen

    fear of change

Similar words

Angst: An uneasy feeling about possible future events or personal concerns.
Befürchtung: Concern that an unwanted event might occur.
Panik: A sudden, overwhelming fear response that disrupts self-control.

Definition in German

Furcht bezeichnet ein starkes Gefühl von Bedrohung gegenüber einer bestimmten Situation oder Sache.

Word origin

The noun Furcht developed from the Old High German form forhta through Middle High German, alongside the related verb fürchten.

Usage tips

  • Furcht sounds more formal or literary than Angst in many everyday contexts, especially when naming fear of a clear danger.

Opposites

Related words

  • furchtlosfearlessadjective
  • furchterregendfrighteningadjective

Word lists with this word