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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afraid
Don't be afraid to try this Italian classic at home!
—
Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 24 May 2026
Experts fear that many more people could die if citizens become afraid of going to the hospital for other ailments, like malaria, measles and malnutrition.
—Erikas Mwisi, CNN Money, 24 May 2026
So, don’t be afraid to mix textures.
—Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 24 May 2026
Don’t be afraid to seek support and ask for help.
—Parents, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 24 May 2026
Experts fear that many more people could die if citizens become afraid of going to the hospital for other ailments, like malaria, measles and malnutrition.
—Erikas Mwisi, CNN Money, 24 May 2026
So, don’t be afraid to mix textures.
—Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 24 May 2026
Don’t be afraid to seek support and ask for help.
—Parents, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afraid
Adjective
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But just as with Darryn Peterson, Self isn’t scared to apply the pressure.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Tech firms were quick to abandon their once-proud commitments to diversity and defense of immigrants following the 2024 election and quietly acquiesced to Trump’s attacks on once-scared cows like higher education, free trade and the rule of law.—
Jonathan Weber,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Americans in that Nebraska unit are isolated and frightened.—
Craig Spencer,
STAT,
13 May 2026
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While one held the frightened animal’s head, the other — wearing a sweatshirt with an image of the Virgin Mary — applied the iron to a horn.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Discovered on board were three terrified young Mexican women and Cochran, who had died 10 days prior.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
-
So many clubs these days seem terrified of signing older players.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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Leaders everywhere were fearful of military action but still prepared for conflict in ways that almost guaranteed that, if hostilities were to break out in Europe, the Great Powers would get involved.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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The movie’s premise—parasocial obsession and manipulation disguised as romance—may have hit a nerve with younger audiences who are reportedly more fearful and less interested in romance.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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As his tricks progressed, the Young Man felt horrified and confused at the same time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Bowers told Vuong, who called the business and legal division while Bowers sent screeners to the horrified standards and practices department of the famously conservative broadcast network.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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The Swedish Film Institute’s Cinemateket, meanwhile, hosted Svenska Synden – a retrospective examining how Swedish cinema’s permissive approach to nudity and sexuality became an international phenomenon that alarmed censors around the world.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 May 2026
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Organizations whose competitive position lives there should be alarmed.—
Joel Hron,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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Viewers were so shocked by this cold ending that many called up HBO or their cable companies to see if maybe something happened to their TVs.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
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The teaser trailer opens with Cooke and Lindsay Hubbard giving their shocked reactions to Batula and Wilson’s public statement about their romance, which came in March after cameras stopped rolling on the 10th season, which airs its finale tonight.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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Reformers were worried that putting more money into the hands of local school districts, without oversight to ensure that it was being spent effectively, would lead to its diversion into administration and more generous union contracts rather than hands-on instruction for kids who needed it most.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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Yu said that, as China has strengthened its social safety net, people are less worried about having to rely on others.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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