“Better Than Feared”

[GoodTaste]

Does “Better Than Feared” mean "better than expected (what we've expected is the fear that a bad policy would come)"?


--------------------
Trump Administration’s Science Priorities “Better Than Feared”
But the White House memo completely omits climate science and space, emphasizing military tech and basic R&D

The White House released a four-page memo (pdf) this week detailing its science budget priorities for fiscal year 2019, citing U.S. military superiority, security, prosperity, energy dominance and health as its top five focuses. The document makes no mention of environmental science or climate change—both top priorities under Barack Obama’s administration—but it does include commitments to basic research and aging-related health.


It should come as little surprise the Trump administration’s science priorities emphasize investment in military might to the exclusion of climate and clean energy. But some saw this memo as a relatively positive development, including Obama’s former science adviser, John Holdren. “There is much more to praise to in this document than to complain about," he says. “The fingerprints of input from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) are evident on this document.”

Source

 

[GoodTaste]

To an extent, yes. However, 'better than feared' conveys much more anxiety than 'better than expected'. The latter is rather neutral, but the former suggests that some people were 'biting their nails'.

That is, although the new plan is 'better than expected', yet it is still worrisome?

 

[Tdol]

Less worrisome than expected.

 

[GoodTaste]

Less worrisome than expected.

Sorry I don't get you.

Isn't "feared" worse than "worrisome"?

 

[Raymott]

You might be missing the meaning of the phrase. You ask whether it means "(what we've expected is the fear that a bad policy would come)".
No, 'fear' does not refer to the effect of the policy. The expectation is the fear; it's a fearful expectation. Naturally, the adoption of a policy might produce fear in some, but the relevant fear is anticipatory fear of the effects of the policy.
"Less worrisome than expected" in this case, means "Less worrisome than feared".

 

[Tdol]

Without getting political, some people feared that Brexit might cause total chaos in the UK. Many are still very worried about it, but don't see it as the end of the world. For them, it is better than they feared, or not as bad as they feared. They still wouldn't choose it and would reverse it, but it has not been the apocalypse some predicted.