# put the fear of God into

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/put-the-fear-of-god-into
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To cause someone to fear abjectly in other contexts; to terrify completely.

## Examples

- The teacher put the fear of God into the noisy students.
- The strict manager put the fear of God into the team when he discovered the major error in their report.
- The sudden, thunderous warning from the captain put the fear of God into the inexperienced crew, forcing them to focus entirely on the dangerous task ahead.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.