afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād 

 Southern also  ə-ˈfred

1

: filled with fear or apprehension

afraid of machines

was afraid for his job

2

: filled with concern or regret over an unwanted situation

I'm afraid I won't be able to go.

3

: having a dislike for something

She's not afraid of hard work. [=she's not unwilling to work hard]

Synonyms

• affrighted
• aghast
• alarmed
• fearful
• frightened
• horrified
• horror-struck
• hysterical
• hysteric
• scared
• scary
• shocked
• spooked
• terrified
• terrorized

Choose the Right Synonym for afraid

fearful, apprehensive, afraid mean disturbed by fear.

fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament.

the child is fearful of loud noises

apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger.

apprehensive of being found out

afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance.

afraid to speak the truth

Examples of afraid in a Sentence

Melissa is afraid of flying, so she takes a train from Boston to visit her brother in Chicago.

Recent Examples on the Web

Diplo isn’t afraid to take a taste on the wild side. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2024

Be afraid, ye who have not yet thought of a good last minute costume idea that will impress all your friends and get attention on the dance floor. —Evelyn Bauer, Them, 4 Sep. 2024

Cultivate a mindset that sees challenges as opportunities and isn't afraid of failure. —Melissa Houston, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024

About 61% of working Americans are more afraid of retiring than of dying, and 64% fear retiring more than getting divorced, according to a national survey for LiveCareer in June. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English affraied, afraied, from past participle of affraien "to disturb, frighten" — more at affray entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing afraid

• afraid for
• afraid not
• afraid so
• afraid to say

Kids Definition

afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād 

 Southern also  -ˈfre(ə)d

1

: filled with fear or dread

afraid of snakes

2

: filled with concern or regret

afraid she might be late

3

: having a dislike for something

not afraid to work hard

Etymology

Middle English affraied "filled with fear," from affraien "to frighten," from early French affraier, effreer "to frighten" — related to fray entry 1