Definition of AFRAID

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 of afraid from the Web

Kirkendall, raising worrisome behavior by Devani, such as crying, wetting herself, and showing fear of male drivers, told the judge that Calderon was making Devani afraid of men.

— bob ortega, azcentral, "A horrifying journey through Arizona foster care, and why we don't know how many more children may be abused", 4 June 2017
Greenwood said the victim’s wife and other siblings have been afraid of the younger Dorey for years.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Rancho Santa Fe slaying 'savage and brutal' prosecutor says", 2 June 2017
The budget proposal is an indication that Trump isn't afraid to end America's long history of generous foreign aid, even though experts warn such a move would be counterproductive.

— chicagotribune.com, "Hospitals become the front line in the Syrian civil war", 31 May 2017
Some, though, are afraid such a system would cost more, Shieh said.

— max londberg, kansascity, "KC doctor in Australia calls on Trump to support Medicare-for-all system", 31 May 2017
There is so much political pressure here that people can be afraid to speak out.

— the associated press, The Seattle Times, "Pastor who urged peace after cop’s mistrial may reprise role", 29 May 2017
What the old-timers were afraid of losing, many of the newcomers seemed unable to recognize.

— erin blakemore, Longreads, "Between Life and Death, There’s San Francisco: A Reading List", 28 May 2017
But the world is changing so rapidly, there are a lot of folks out there who are both afraid and susceptible to this kind of negative appeal.

— amy b wang, Washington Post, "Joe Biden on politics of fear: ‘The American people will not sustain this attitude for long’", 27 May 2017
At first, unable to believe that the madness will not be stopped, somehow, by someone, before lives are taken, Alice chooses not to resist, afraid for her own security before that of others.

— helen castor, New York Times, "A 17th-Century Witch Hunter and His Campaign of Terror", 22 May 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of afraid

Middle English affraied, from past participle of affraien to frighten — more at affray

First Known Use: 14th century

afraid Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

afraid