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
However, Herneval’s extravagant kingdom, the Topus Terrentus, is at risk of disappearing because people in the real world are no longer afraid of fiction.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
The way to beat it is to refuse to be afraid.
—John Archibald, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
Not being afraid to fail by trying something new.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The Ghostbusters may not be afraid of no ghost, but plenty of people are.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
The way to beat it is to refuse to be afraid.
—John Archibald, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
Not being afraid to fail by trying something new.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The Ghostbusters may not be afraid of no ghost, but plenty of people are.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 30 Oct. 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
-
Sometimes, a frightened reaction is inexplicable.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Japanese had cyclotrons but no nuclear lobby driven by frightened, concerned, or ambitious scientists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 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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The move, widely seen as an abandonment of long-standing arms control traditions, has alarmed diplomats and security analysts worldwide.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Crichton Trust’s lawyer Robert Klieger wasn’t so alarmed when contacted by Deadline on Wednesday.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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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Residents of Cranbourne Hall Residential Park, the nearest neighborhood, are worried that the new home will be less private than the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Haseebullah also is worried about the Cybertrucks’ surveillance abilities that the public may not be unaware of, and that the fleet might give Tesla access to police data.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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