a. [f. FEAR sb. + -LESS.] Without fear.
1. Unaffected by fear; bold, intrepid. Const. of; rarely, with inf.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4993. Ȝone is a fereles foule.
1591. Spenser, Tears of Muses, 303. Feareles … To tumble.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., IV. ii. 151. Pro. A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully, but as a drunken sleepe, carelesse, wreaklesse, and fearelesse of what’s past, present, or to come: insensible of mortality, and desperately mortall.
a. 1639. W. Whately, Prototypes, I. xxi. (1640), 249. He that hath a bold audatious fearelesse heart, that when he hath done evill, feeleth no stirring of feare, no awe, no dread, sees no danger or perill in the sinne, perhaps abusing the promise to make himselfe bold, surely cannot say, that he sanctifieth God in his heart and maketh him his dread and his feare. Strive therefore to get and strive to nourish and exercise this feare in you.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 65, 8 Sept., ¶ 2. The Hero stood as fearless as if invulnerable.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 15.
| The hardy chief upon the rugged rock | |
| Wash’d by the sea, or on the grav’lly bank | |
| Thrown up by wintry torrents roaring loud, | |
| Fearless of wrong, repos’d his weary strength. |
1820. Keats, Eve St. Agnes, xxxix.
| Arise! arise! my love and fearless be, | |
| For o’er the southern moors I have a home for thee. |
1870–4. Anderson, Missions Amer. Bd., III. xiii. 218. The fearless missionary spent ten days with these ‘deceitful and bloody’ men.
† b. Without doubt about; confident of. Obs.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 78. He was fearelesse of his establishment in his Fathers Royalties.
c. Of the bearing, demeanour, etc.: Showing no sign of fear.
1803. Mackintosh, Def. Peltier, Wks. 1846, III. 242. I have said, a fearless defence. Ibid. (1815) Sp. in Ho. Com., 27 April, ibid., 317. To the uncourtly and fearless turbulence of this House Great Britan owes a greatness and power so much above her natural resources.
1848. S. C. Bartlett, Egypt to Pal., v. (1879), 116. The Hebrew historian moves over it with a fearless step.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 430, Phaedo. His mien and his language were so noble and fearless in the hour of death that to me he appeared blessed.
† 2. a. Not regarded with fear. b. Giving no cause for fear, free from danger. Obs.
1599. Sylvester, Miracle Peace, xxix.
| As hee that scap’t from Ship-wrack on a plank, | |
| Doubts of his health, and hardly yet beleeves | |
| (Still faintly shiuering on the feareless bank). |
1600. Holland, Livy, XXV. xxxviii. (1609), 578. Men are least sure and secured against that which fortune saith is fearelesse.
1614. Bp. Hall, A Recollection of such Treatises, 988. He [God] can turne him [Satan] into a senselesse sticke, and make him if not vsefull, yet fearelesse.
1745. Warburton, Serm. 1 Pet. ii. 17, p. 8. So … will an honourless King promote the Worship of a fearless God.
