【Fear】 , 【dread】 , 【fright】 , 【alarm】 , 【dismay】 , 【consternation】 , 【panic】 , 【terror】 , 【horror】 , 【trepidation】 denote the distressing or disordering agitation which overcomes one in the anticipation or in the presence of danger.
【Fear】 is the most general term; like 【dread】 , it implies apprehension and anxiety, but it also frequently suggests a loss of courage amounting to cowardice.
【Fright】 implies the shock of sudden, startling, and usually short-lived 【fear】 ; 【alarm】 suggests the 【fright】 which is awakened by sudden awareness of imminent danger.
【Dismay】 implies deprivation of spirit, courage, or initiative, especially by an alarming or disconcerting prospect.
【Consternation】 heightens the implication of prostration or confusion of the faculties.
【Panic】 is overmastering and unreasoning, often groundless, 【fear】 or 【fright】 .
【Terror】 suggests the extremity of 【consternation】 or 【dread】 .
【Horror】 adds the implication of shuddering abhorrence or aversion, for it usually connotes a sight, activity, or demand rather than a premonition as a cause of 【fear】 .
【Trepidation】 adds to 【dread】 the implication of timidity, especially as manifested by trembling or by marked hesitation. It is often used for a polite pretense of 【fear】 or timidity.
