← Back to Fala2Me

amplify fears

[ˈæm.plɪ.faɪ fɪrz]
verb phrase
ampliar medos / intensificar medos
1. to make fears or anxieties stronger, more intense, or more widespread; to increase the strength or effect of fear
The media tends to amplify fears about the economy during uncertain times.
A mídia tende a ampliar os medos sobre a economia durante tempos incertos.
2. to exaggerate or magnify concerns or worries, making them seem more serious than they actually are
Social media can amplify fears by spreading unverified information rapidly.
As redes sociais podem intensificar medos ao espalhar informações não verificadas rapidamente.
Synonyms
exaggerate fearsintensify fearsmagnify fearsheighten fearsincrease fearsworsen fears
Antonyms
alleviate fearsdiminish fearsreduce fearscalm fearsease fears

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ampliar medos / intensificar medos
Most common usage in Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
aumentar os medos
Alternative colloquial form
São Paulo
amplificar medos / potencializar medos
More formal/business contexts
Portugal
ampliar medos / potenciar medos
European Portuguese preference

Related Idioms & Phrases

blow fears out of proportion
feed into fears
play on fears
stoke fears
fuel anxieties
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →