fearlessly

fearlessly — adverb

1. showing no fear and acting with courage when confronting danger, difficulty, or

1.adverbB2
Definition

showing no fear and acting with courage when confronting danger, difficulty, or a threat

Example

Leila fearlessly confronted the school bully, even though she was much smaller.

fearlessly + verb of confrontation

A young nurse fearlessly ran into the burning house to save a trapped child.

Common collocations
  • fearlessly + confrontation verb (confront, challenge, face down)
  • fearlessly + speech verb (speak, argue, report, protest)
  • fearlessly + physical action (jump, run, dive, fight)
Synonyms
  • bravely

    most common and general; implies acting despite fear, whereas 'fearlessly' implies no fear at all

  • boldly

    emphasizes confidence and daring, sometimes with a hint of risk-taking

  • courageously

    more formal than 'bravely'; stresses moral strength in the face of danger

  • dauntlessly

    literary or formal; suggests that nothing can discourage or intimidate

Antonyms
  • fearfully

    showing or feeling fear

  • timidly

    lacking courage or confidence

  • cowardly

    strongly negative; lacking courage in a shameful way

Usage Note

Stronger in tone than 'bravely'; implies a complete absence of fear rather than overcoming it. Often used to describe admirable or morally principled courage.

Common Mistakes

He fearlessly went to the supermarket for milk.
He fearlessly confronted the armed robber in the store.
'fearlessly' is reserved for genuinely dangerous or highly challenging situations, not everyday errands.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All five words describe acting without letting fear stop you, but they differ in tone and nuance. 'Fearlessly' is the strongest — it suggests the person feels no fear at all, not that they overcome it. 'Bravely' is the most common everyday word; it implies the person feels fear but acts anyway. 'Boldly' adds a sense of confidence and forwardness, sometimes with a touch of daring or even recklessness. 'Courageously' is more formal and often used for sustained moral or principled action (e.g., 'She courageously defended human rights for decades'). 'Dauntlessly' is a literary or formal word meaning that nothing can discourage or intimidate the person; it is rarely used in conversation. For everyday speech, 'bravely' works best; for writing that emphasizes complete absence of fear, choose 'fearlessly'.

fearlessly ↗bravely ↗boldly ↗courageouslydauntlessly

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • absolutely fearlessly
  • quite fearlessly

Phrases

  • act fearlessly
  • speak fearlessly
  • fight fearlessly
  • face something fearlessly
  • stand fearlessly

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'fearless' (meaning 'without fear') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. The adjective 'fearless' comes from 'fear' (from Old English 'fǣr', meaning danger or sudden calamity) plus the suffix '-less' (from Old English '-lēas', meaning 'without').