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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afraid
General manager Brad Treliving won’t be afraid to make a deal in a short amount of time.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Fans of her comedy applauded Glaser for not being afraid of going to some dark places, as others objected to the edgy material.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
These programs foster racial profiling, undermine trust in local enforcement and make people afraid to report crimes.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
The Philharmonie wasn’t however afraid to take a moral stance over Russia’ invasion of Ukraine.
—Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Fans of her comedy applauded Glaser for not being afraid of going to some dark places, as others objected to the edgy material.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
These programs foster racial profiling, undermine trust in local enforcement and make people afraid to report crimes.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
The Philharmonie wasn’t however afraid to take a moral stance over Russia’ invasion of Ukraine.
—Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afraid
Adjective
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When one teen is scared or tired of the process, the other girl is there to encourage her.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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One of the women, one of his first girlfriends, was very scared [to be part of the series].—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Nearly a week later, Scott and Kodi Allred, a couple traveling to visit their son at the University of Northern Colorado, saw the frightened black dachshund darting along the same stretch of road near Elk Mountain.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Sometimes, a frightened reaction is inexplicable.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Dramatic body cam video shows a terrified boy was being held by the throat when his knife-wielding captor was killed by a deputy, the Florida investigators say.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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The disaster forced terrified guests and hotel staff to leap from windows or dangle bedsheets to escape rooms engulfed in smoke and flames.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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People with excellent credit are often overly fearful about closing credit cards.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Nov. 2025
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Analysts are fearful about what that means for its margins and earnings — and, in some cases, are lowering their outlooks for the stock.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To be honest with you, everyone on the cast is pretty horrified by her behavior.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
7 Nov. 2025
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When the woman ran out of the apartment screaming for help, Burnside turned to his horrified step-daughter, who witnessed the attack on her mom, and began to repeatedly stab her about the body, face and head.—
Thomas Tracy,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Experts are especially alarmed that the CDC is investigating splitting up the MMR vaccine, which protects kids against measles, mumps and rubella in one shot.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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Phil, Myrtle’s son, who lived out of state, became alarmed when a concerned neighbor later notified him that his mother had vanished.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The shocked passengers on the boat were also unharmed.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Ryan’s stepfather sat quietly, appearing shocked and betrayed.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In response, the White House is planning to adjust its messaging strategy to focus on affordability to try to win over voters who are worried about the high cost of living with plans to emphasize new tax breaks and show progress on fighting inflation.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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Are Americans worried about inflation just wrong?—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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