as in scared
filled with fear or dread
Melissa is afraid of flying, so she takes a train from Boston to visit her brother in Chicago
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afraid
Their smaller counterparts, alpacas, are more timid and shy, but the more independent ones that aren't afraid to be away from the herd do well as therapy animals.
—
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
But don’t be afraid to defend your boundaries.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
Vucan hasn’t been afraid to remind the generations that have followed Alexander of his command.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
But some of the sailors were afraid to make the journey.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
But don’t be afraid to defend your boundaries.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
Vucan hasn’t been afraid to remind the generations that have followed Alexander of his command.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
But some of the sailors were afraid to make the journey.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afraid
Adjective
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Employees felt unsafe coming to work; customers were scared to leave their homes.—
David Farley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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Hearts have melted online after a scared rescue dog bravely faced her fear in order to join her owner, with many viewers praising her unquestionable courage and determination.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Chesney became frightened, scaled the enclosure wall and hopped over the fence.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Scared and frightened, the only way to relieve the pain is to sell.—
,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Video footage from the rescue shows the terrified dog shivering as the officer calls her.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The measure passed the Senate 89-10 but now faces a challenging path in the House of Representatives, where Republicans, who have the majority, are fearful of being forced into a bad deal.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
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Singh, however, argued that Jones was not coerced but fearful of the consequences.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hamilton and Madison would have been aligned in horrified opposition had Washington, without congressional action, dispatched gunboats to sink British ships.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
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And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
President Bush, alarmed, directed the National Security Council to prevent Iran from acquiring one.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The historic plane didn't make move to the new terminal, and aviation enthusiasts expressed alarmed there was no plan to find her a new home.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Elliott said one comment from a female jailer left her shocked.—
Daniel Wilkerson,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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So we shouldn’t be overly shocked if the same thing happens this year.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her advice to anyone who is worried about giant hogweed is to take steps to identify it.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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So, should human artists be worried?—
Stephy Chung,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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