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Prepositions after adjectives

Fearless in, of, about, to or with?

Fearless is commonly followed by in when describing actions or behaviour. Fearless of also appears, especially in literary or formal English. Fearless about, fearless to, and fearless with are uncommon or nonstandard as fixed patterns.

Quick answer

Which prepositions can follow fearless?

Use fearless in to describe confidence in action or behaviour. Fearless of is also used, especially in formal style, to mean not afraid of something. Fearless about, fearless to, and fearless with are not standard fixed combinations after fearless.

She was fearless in debate.
He remained fearless of danger.
The journalist was fearless in her reporting.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
fearless in + activity

Showing courage in actions

Fearless in describes bravery or confidence during an activity or form of behaviour.

They are fearless in negotiation.
She became fearless in competition.
2
fearless of + danger/problem

Not afraid of something

Fearless of means not frightened by a threat, difficulty, or consequence.

The explorers were fearless of hardship.
He seemed fearless of criticism.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
fearless in
She is fearless in public debate.
brave or confident during an activity
fearless of
He was fearless of failure.
not afraid of something
fearless about
The phrase fearless about is uncommon as a fixed pattern.
Writers usually choose fearless in or fearless of instead.
fearless to
The phrase fearless to is not standard after fearless.
Use fearless enough to or another structure instead.
fearless with
Fearless with may appear when with introduces a tool or companion.
It is not a standard adjective-preposition pattern selected by fearless.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using fearless to directly after the adjective

Fearless is not normally followed by to.

✕ She is fearless to speak her mind. ✓ She is fearless in speaking her mind.

Using fearless about as a general pattern

Fearless about is uncommon and often sounds unnatural.

✕ He is fearless about criticism. ✓ He is fearless of criticism.

Confusing fearless in and fearless of

Use fearless in for actions and fearless of for threats or dangers.

✕ She is fearless of negotiation. ✓ She is fearless in negotiation.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The lawyer was ___ cross-examination.
2. The climbers were ___ danger.
3. Which option is the most standard?

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Frequently asked questions

Is fearless of old-fashioned?

It is still used, especially in formal or literary English, though fearless in is often more common in everyday contexts.

Can fearless with ever be correct?

Yes, but with usually introduces another element in the sentence rather than forming a fixed combination with fearless.

How do I talk about fearless behaviour?

Use fearless in plus an activity or area of behaviour, such as fearless in leadership.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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