fear
n. C / Un. the strong, unpleasant feeling you get when you think something dangerous or painful might happen. It is a natural reaction that helps you stay safe from threats.
n. an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. Often functions as a primary evolutionary response to perceived risk.
The child felt a sudden fear of the dark.
Many people experience a deep fear of public speaking before they have to give a presentation.
The sudden collapse of the market instilled a widespread fear among investors, leading to a frantic sell-off of assets that further destabilised the economy.
Uncountable when referring to the general emotion; countable when referring to a specific phobia or instance ('a fear of heights').
I have fear to spidersI have a fear of spidersWhen describing a specific phobia, use the preposition 'of' followed by a noun, rather than 'to' with an infinitive.