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

And most importantly, surround yourself with other women who think big, talk money openly, and aren’t afraid to build serious wealth. —Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025

Will Poulter has never been afraid to get rough on screen and the same apparently applies to his work process as well. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2025

Don’t be afraid to layer textures like tissue paper, maps, or even ticket stubs for dimension. —Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2025

Winston rarely misses a tackle and isn't afraid to meet ball carriers in space. —John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 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