afraid

adjective

\ ə-ˈfrād

, Southern also ə-ˈfred\

Definition of afraid

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 & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about afraid

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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

Some men are afraid of living up to the mantle of Frank Gifford, and there’s no reason for that. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'Today' Star Kathie Lee Gifford and Her Late Husband Frank Went Through It All Together," 22 Mar. 2019 Kim Kardashian is the Klapback Kween — the mom of three is not afraid to call out her haters and stick up for her family, especially on social media. — Yerin Kim, Seventeen, "Kim Kardashian's Most Savage Quotes and Clapbacks of All Time," 4 Mar. 2019 Being afraid to take risks College prepares students for careers, but getting a job isn’t the only option after graduation. — Valencia Higuera, The Seattle Times, "9 biggest career mistakes college grads make," 20 Feb. 2019 If temperatures are too cold to stay outside, don’t be afraid to call it a day and escape to the comfort of your tent instead. — Kraig Becker, Popular Mechanics, "Winter Camping: How To Get Outdoors When It's Freezing Cold," 14 Feb. 2019 Scorpio is connected to the earth’s soil, so under this lunation, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What Your Sign's November Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 28 Oct. 2018 But the Heat have never been afraid of risk when the reward can change the landscape. — Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Heat: Why wouldn't Heat be all-in for Kawhi Leonard?," 7 July 2018 Maybe the company is afraid of alienating customers with a new, unfamiliar cable. — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "Apple has officially missed the boat on USB-C with this year’s iPhones," 14 Sep. 2018 My Brilliant Friend is warm and nostalgic, sure, but also never afraid to complicate its warmth and nostalgia with a bitter dose of reality. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "The 7 best TV shows of 2018," 26 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'afraid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.