afraid

[uh-freyd]

adjective

1. feeling fear; filled with apprehension.

   afraid to go.

   Synonyms: timorous, timid, apprehensive, fearful, scared
   Antonyms: fearless, confident, bold

2. feeling regret, unhappiness, or the like.

   I'm afraid we can't go on Monday.

3. feeling reluctance, unwillingness, distaste, or the like.

   He seemed afraid to show his own children a little kindness.

afraid

/ əˈfreɪd /

adjective

1. (often foll by of) feeling fear or apprehension; frightened

   he was afraid of cats

2. reluctant (to do something), as through fear or timidity

   he was afraid to let himself go

3. regretful

   I'm afraid that I shall have to tell you to go

Other Word Forms

• half-afraid adjective
• unafraid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of afraid¹

Variant spelling of affrayed, past participle of affray to disturb, frighten

Word History and Origins

Origin of afraid¹

C14: affraied, past participle of _affray (to frighten)

Synonym Study

Afraid, alarmed, frightened, terrified all indicate a state of fear. Afraid implies inner apprehensive disquiet: afraid of the dark. Alarmed implies that the feelings are aroused through realization of some imminent or unexpected danger to oneself or others: alarmed by (or about ) someone's illness. Frightened means shocked with sudden, but usually short-lived, fear, especially that arising from apprehension of physical harm: frightened by an accident. Terrified suggests the emotional reaction when one is struck with a violent, overwhelming fear: terrified by an earthquake.

Example Sentences

On Saturday, the Ravens sent former Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander to the Eagles, who are never afraid to pull the trigger on a deal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"We stopped going to our farms, afraid of clashes," he told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

Lawyers for Jimenez offered a counter narrative saying Jimenez reversed because he was afraid then unnecessarily shot in the back of his right shoulder where a bullet remains lodged.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This also encourages the kind of wild negativity we’ve seen in the last week — such as news cycles about whether Mamdani’s aunt was afraid to ride the subway after Sept. 11.

Read more on Salon

“They’re afraid if they do that, the boss, whoever he or she is, will consider them less productive or therefore more expendable,” he says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• anxious 
• apprehensive 
• frightened 
• nervous 
• scared 
• shocked www.thesaurus.com
• suspicious 
• timid