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

Don’t be afraid of just pausing for a second — this could be a great time for more dirty talk or caressing — particularly once the whole hand is inside. —Quispe López, Them., 30 Apr. 2025

Hairston impressed at the combine in Indianapolis by running a 4.28 40-yard dash and has the speed to keep everything in front while not being afraid to get physical. —Bryce Lazenby, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025

Too often, people are afraid to raise their hands for help. —Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Photo by Sean Litchfield New York native Justin Charette isn’t afraid to go bold in his modern, minimal interiors. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for afraid

• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted
• cascade

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