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trigger fear

[ˈtrɪɡər fɪr]
verb phrase
desencadear medo
1. to cause or provoke fear in someone; to activate a fearful response
The sudden noise triggered fear in the children.
O barulho repentino desencadeou medo nas crianças.
2. to serve as a stimulus that initiates an anxious or frightened reaction
Certain situations can trigger fear responses in people with phobias.
Certas situações podem desencadear respostas de medo em pessoas com fobias.
Synonyms
provoke fearinduce feararouse fearspark fearincite fearevoke fear
Antonyms
alleviate fearcalm fearease fearreduce feardispel fear

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desencadear medo; provocar medo
Most common and widely used throughout Brazil
São Paulo
desencadear medo; gerar medo
Urban usage, common in metropolitan areas
Rio de Janeiro
desencadear medo; botar medo
Colloquial variant 'botar medo' is more informal
Portugal
desencadear medo; provocar medo
Same as Brazilian Portuguese; standard European Portuguese usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

strike fear into someone's heart
put the fear of God into someone
scare someone out of their wits
frighten someone half to death
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