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arouse fear

[əˈraʊz fɪr]
verb phrase
despertar medo
1. to cause someone to feel fear or anxiety; to provoke a feeling of dread or apprehension
The strange noises in the dark house aroused fear in the children.
Os sons estranhos na casa escura despertaram medo nas crianças.
2. to trigger or stimulate a state of alarm or concern
The news report aroused fear among investors about the market crash.
A reportagem despertou medo entre os investidores sobre o colapso do mercado.
NYC Slang
spook someone
Synonyms
provoke fearinstill fearinspire fearkindle fearevoke fearstir up fear
Antonyms
allay fearcalm fearsdispel fearease fearsoothe fearsreassure

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
despertar medo
most common usage in Brazil
General Brazilian
provocar medo
alternative common usage
Portugal
incutir medo
more formal alternative in European Portuguese
Portugal
despertar o medo
also used in Portugal

Related Idioms & Phrases

strike fear into someone's heart
put the fear of God into someone
scare someone stiff
make someone's blood run cold
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