deep-seated fear
1
5.8
- noun
:
miedo arraigado
- She has a deep-seated fear of heights that makes it hard for her to go climbing.
I have a very deep seated fear of, of feeling unbelieved.
- I have a very deep seated fear of, of feeling unbelieved.
- Nice, nice people, especially nice guys, are super narky because that niceness always comes down to some deep seated fear.
Examples
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The conflict between the ANC and IFP has much to do with deep-seated fears at the grassroots level about political gang warfare based on historical allegiances.
Academic text (1993) -
Ultimately, these deep-seated fears sometimes threatened to overwhelm students.
Academic text (2009) -
And then I look in her eyes and it's this deep seated fear now also joined with a little bit of anger towards her husband.
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I have a very deep seated fear of, of feeling unbelieved.
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I believe it's a deep-seated fear of inadequacy.
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India's desire to emerge as a great power, combined with a long-term and deep-seated fear of Chinese power, continued to drive the nuclear weapons program.
Academic text (1997) -
A person striving to be the best may be harboring a deep-seated fear of failure and feelings of incompetence.
Academic text (1995) -
Fragile and fearful, these students expressed deep-seated fears in various ways, locating the object of fear in "college" itself, in specific courses or subject matter, and in certain professors.
Academic text (2009) -
When clients feel they are able to disclose openly, they will be more likely to reveal the underlying causes of their skill deficits or deep-seated fears.
Academic text (2009) -
That deep-seated fear that I will be a complete and utter failure, no one will buy my products, and that "they" will be right—"they" being anyone who has told me I can't make money doing what I love/selling my work.
Blog text (30)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
An unpleasant feeling of being afraid because something seems dangerous
A strong hidden worry that affects how someone thinks or acts
Antonyms
How Deep
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'deep-seated' means deeply rooted or firmly established and 'fear' means anxiety, so the phrase straightforwardly denotes a long-standing, firmly rooted fear. This adjective+noun combination is a common, cross-linguistic pattern and should be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Deep-seated fear paints the image of a fear that is seated, or sitting, very deep inside a person, like a heavy thing low and hard to move. That's why it means a fear that has been there a 'long time' and is 'hard to change'.