Entry Word: afraid

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 filled with fear or dread <Melissa is afraid of flying, so she takes a train from Boston to visit her brother in Chicago>

Synonyms affrighted, aghast, alarmed, fearful, frightened, horrified, scared, spooked, terrified, terrorized

Related Words fainthearted, fearsome, shrinking, shy, timid, timorous, tremulous; agitated, anxious, apprehensive, disconcerted, disquieted, disturbed, jittery, jumpy, nervous, panicky, perturbed, skittish, uneasy, upset, worried; appalled, dismayed, shocked, startled; cowed, daunted, intimidated, unnerved; coward, cowardly, craven, gutless, lily-livered, pusillanimous; careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, unadventurous, wary

Near Antonyms adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold, daredevil, daring, dashing, gutsy, plucky, spirited, spunky, venturesome, venturous; brave, courageous, gallant, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous; assured, collected, composed, confident, cool, sanguine, sure, unperturbed; dauntless, resolute, undaunted

Antonyms fearless, unafraid

2 having doubts about the wisdom of doing something <not afraid to show his feelings> — see hesitant