afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād How to pronounce afraid (audio)
Southern also ə-ˈfred
Synonyms of afraidnext
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 of afraid

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Once again, Slow Horses isn’t afraid to acknowledge its heroes are in a terrible situation and will pay the price for it. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 And do not be afraid to seek a second opinion for such a serious diagnosis, Sadiq added. — Dylan Scott, Vox, 21 Oct. 2026 Fond of travel but afraid to fly, Pan would take longish vacations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, or Mexico, sometimes accompanied by his nieces. — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 Another woman also said she was almost knocked over and was afraid she'd be hurt, Curtis said. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for afraid

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of afraid was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing afraid

Rhymes for afraid

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Browse Nearby Words

Afr
afraid
afraid for
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Cite this Entry

“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afraid. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

afraid

adjective
ə-ˈfrād How to pronounce afraid (audio)
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

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