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 of afraid

• scared
• frightened
• terrified
• fearful
• horrified
• alarmed
• shocked
• worried

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

Chicago can’t afford leaders who are afraid to enforce basic order. —Ja'mal Green, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

After Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions, people too afraid to leave their homes ended up losing sources of income, meaning paying rent became impossible. —Conor Wight, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Alex Martinez, who has family in Jalisco, said some of his aunts, uncles and cousins in Zapopan, next to Guadalajara, are afraid to go outside while the cartel is in a state of crisis. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026

Brown is on the same page and adds that architectural frames are gaining traction, so don’t be afraid to test the waters with unique, playful shapes. —Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for afraid

• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted
• cascade

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