fear the worst

fear the worst

To worry or expect that the worst possible outcome will happen. I feared the worst when the boss called me into her office, but she just wanted to go over travel plans for the upcoming conference. It'll be a few days before we get the test results back, so try not to fear the worst.
See also: fear, worst
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • if (the) worst comes to (the) worst
  • if the worst comes to the worst
  • if worst comes to worst
  • go to the worst
  • worst comes to worst
  • worst-case scenario
  • the worst-case scenario
  • worst
  • bring out the worst in (one)
  • bring out the worst in somebody
References in classic literature
I had never heard of your existence; but I had known your father; and from matters in my competence (to be touched upon hereafter) I was disposed to fear the worst. Mr.
nor the emerged from the room, you fear the worst head coach Chicken Nobody cares about this competition, particularly with Fulham coming up on Friday.
Dad Paul reckons Alves was fortunate to stay on the pitch and said: "You do fear the worst. My heart was in my mouth.
Farmers in Zimbabwe have lost cattle and crops to drought but fear the worst is yet to come.
They look spirit-less and I fear the worst for them, to be fair."
I fear the worst for the derby and losing three in a row to Sunderland is unthinkable.
Much as it pains me to say so, but Hughton may have only to the second week of April to save his job - and, right now, I fear the worst for Norwich.
When people you trust tell you there's cause for concern about match fixing coming our way then you have to fear the worst.
TROUBLED Paul Gascoigne has fallen off the wagon again - going on a booze bender that has friends saying they "fear the worst".
1 The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Transworld, pounds 7.99) 2 Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (Vintage, pounds 7.99) 3 Alone In Berlin by Hans Fallada (Penguin, pounds 9.99) 4 Matt Monro by Michele Monro (Titan Books, pounds 17.99) 5 Teesside And Old Cleveland Through Time by Robin Cook (Amberley Publishing, pounds 14.99) 6 The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson (Quercus, pounds 7.99) 7 Middlesbrough by Araf Chohan (The History Press, pounds 12.99) 8 Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay (Orion, pounds 7.99) 9 The Third Man by Peter Mandelson (Harpercollins, pounds 25) 10 Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (Little, Brown, pounds 7.99) * List compiled by Waterstones, Captain Cook Square, Middlesbrough
BOOKMAKERS normally fear the worst when England win, but they will be in the unusual position of cheering on the Three Lions when they face Brazil in Qatar tomorrow.
Let's hope that soon this trend will be reversed and we can once again not fear the worst upon seeing one of these helicopters.
"I'm usually upbeat, but I am beginning to fear the worst as we squandered chances and only tested their keeper once" said Neath boss Andrew Dyer.
"We have no news of them and fear the worst," Archbishop Clive Handford, president bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, told BBC News.
Why cannot this world of ours All live together in peace We cannot hope for harmony Whilst this bickering is on the increase Now if a fireman came to rescue us Would we ask his religion first Or if he were a different colour Would we really fear the worst No of course not We would welcome him with open arms And he would be our friend for life So please let us not be bigots And turn our backs on strife It's much easier to be friendly And look people in the eye No more shall we be devious And no more shall we live a lie Then when we go to that great divine High up in the sky We can tell whoever it is that welcomes us That whilst on earth we honestly did try