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
Following physical and emotional abuse, Lafferty became an anxious child who was constantly afraid of angering adults around her.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Wash your towels according to the care label, but don’t be afraid to go hotter if the towels are extra dirty.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Give Tired Pieces an Update Similarly, don’t be afraid to reimagine old pieces with a bit of paint.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
People are afraid, people are terrorized.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Wash your towels according to the care label, but don’t be afraid to go hotter if the towels are extra dirty.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Give Tired Pieces an Update Similarly, don’t be afraid to reimagine old pieces with a bit of paint.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025
People are afraid, people are terrorized.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afraid
Adjective
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Alolkoy, said despite the bear's small size and obviously scared state, the store quickly erupted in a chaotic scene.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Are players scared to talk about it publicly?—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hundreds of frightened residents gathered in a grassy field near the fire station and refused to return home hours after the quake struck Bogo in Cebu province.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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So stay calm, control your breathing, don’t be frightened.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Kim Kardashian was left terrified after learning someone put out a hit on her life.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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With every temptation, Jesus is lured into a forbidden world, and a terrified Joseph soon realizes that a demonic power is at work.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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While mountain lions are highly adaptable to various ecosystems, their numbers declined historically due to being hunted by fearful humans.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Several days pass; the nights alone in the wilderness are especially fearful.—
Judith Thurman,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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He is then seen collapsing on the dance floor in front of horrified guests.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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The Prime Video series ends with a horrified Daniel looking at Cherry, who's shown smiling at him with her hands calmly resting on very pregnant belly.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This is nothing to be alarmed over.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
3 Oct. 2025
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China, in particular, has in recent years alarmed Washington with its rapid progress in chip and AI technologies, prompting the blacklisting of Huawei in 2019 and hundreds of others in subsequent years.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their shocked reaction doesn’t stop Hersh’s mother.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Goodall, whose own site was relatively protected, was shocked.—
Michelle Nijhuis,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But farmers are worried that time is quickly running out to reach a deal in time to sell any of this year’s crop to their biggest customer.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
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The worried mom immediately booked a flight from Virginia to Colorado, which was an agonizing trip.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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