Fear comes in sizes. A qualm is a small twinge of doubt; dread is a heavy fear of something on its way; a phobia is a strong, lasting fear of one thing. This topic also gives you verbs for what frightening things do to us: they unnerve, daunt, intimidate and perturb.
Key idea
Feelings (nouns): dread, qualm, misgiving, foreboding, phobia, consternation. What scares or worries us (verbs): unnerve, daunt, intimidate, perturb. Ask two questions: how strong is the fear, and is it about now or about what is coming?
The ten words
Common mistake
daunt (discourage) and taunt (mock) sound alike. A qualm is a twinge of doubt or conscience, not a full fear.
| word | how strong | about what |
|---|---|---|
| qualm | a twinge | whether something is right |
| misgiving | a doubt | whether a plan will turn out well |
| foreboding | a sense, a hunch | trouble that is on its way |
| dread | heavy fear | something that is coming |
| phobia | strong and lasting | one particular thing |
| consternation | sudden shock | something that has just gone wrong |
The four verbs differ, too. To unnerve is to take away someone’s courage or calm; to daunt is to discourage someone from trying; to intimidate is to frighten someone, often to push them around; to perturb is to worry or upset. Don’t mix up daunt and taunt: to taunt is to mock. And a qualm is only a twinge of doubt, usually about whether something is right.