SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

afraid not

Definition of afraid not

—used as a polite way of making a negative statement when one wants to show regret at having to do so

"Can you come to our party?" "I'm afraid not."

Word by Word Definitions

afraid play

: filled with fear or apprehension
: filled with concern or regret over an unwanted situation
: having a dislike for something

See the full definition of afraid

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up afraid not? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

play

a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Words at Play

alt-59c2960017c94

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

alt-59c13729150dc

"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz

Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game