afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād 

 Southern also  ə-ˈfred

1

: filled with fear or apprehension

afraid of machines

was afraid for his job

2

: filled with concern or regret over an unwanted situation

I'm afraid I won't be able to go.

3

: having a dislike for something

She's not afraid of hard work. [=she's not unwilling to work hard]

Synonyms

• affrighted
• aghast
• alarmed
• fearful
• frightened
• horrified
• horror-struck
• hysterical
• hysteric
• scared
• scary
• shocked
• spooked
• terrified
• terrorized

Choose the Right Synonym for afraid

fearful, apprehensive, afraid mean disturbed by fear.

fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament.

the child is fearful of loud noises

apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger.

apprehensive of being found out

afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance.

afraid to speak the truth

Examples of afraid in a Sentence

Melissa is afraid of flying, so she takes a train from Boston to visit her brother in Chicago.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many teams are stuck in limbo, afraid to let things rip. —Mike Murchison, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024

There was also some rivalry: Margeaux was afraid of losing her front-row seat at New York Fashion Week to the ascendant Roach. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024

Don’t be afraid to go woo woo or simply just add an extra moment to breathe throughout the big day. —Shelby Wax, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2024

The song’s popularity on the app has also reminded Larsson to use social media to her advantage, and not be afraid to promote her music — and her upcoming solo tour — on the platform. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English affraied, afraied, from past participle of affraien "to disturb, frighten" — more at affray entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing afraid

• afraid for
• afraid not
• afraid so
• afraid to say

Kids Definition

afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād 

 Southern also  -ˈfre(ə)d

1

: filled with fear or dread

afraid of snakes

2

: filled with concern or regret

afraid she might be late

3

: having a dislike for something

not afraid to work hard

Etymology

Middle English affraied "filled with fear," from affraien "to frighten," from early French affraier, effreer "to frighten" — related to fray entry 1