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breed fear

[/briːd fɪər/]
verb phrase
gerar medo, incutir medo, suscitar medo
1. to cause or produce fear in people; to create an atmosphere or condition that generates anxiety or dread
The constant threats breed fear among the population.
As ameaças constantes geram medo entre a população.
2. to develop or foster fear through repeated actions or conditions
Lack of transparency breeds fear in investors.
A falta de transparência incute medo nos investidores.
Synonyms
generate fearcreate fearinstill fearprovoke fearfoster feararouse fear
Antonyms
dispel fearallay fearease fearcalm fearsreassure

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
gerar medo, causar medo
Most common usage in Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
criar medo
Alternative colloquial usage
São Paulo
incutir medo, suscitar medo
More formal usage in business contexts
Portugal
gerar medo, infundir medo
European Portuguese preference for 'infundir'

Related Idioms & Phrases

fear breeds contempt
familiarity breeds contempt
breeds suspicion
sow fear
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