afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād How to pronounce afraid (audio)
 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]
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 Everyone is so afraid and are putting up such barriers around everything that people can’t be normal with each other anymore. Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Millie Bobby Brown isn’t afraid to point out sub-par service — anonymously! Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The new conditions apply to adult migrants who arrived in the United States after March 15, 2022, and are afraid to return to their home countries. Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Don;t be afraid to inject some of yourself in the cover letter. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024 Sofia isn’t afraid of work and is always taking on assignments that others would shirk at. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 Many of these small and mid-sized businesses – great SMB success stories who typically aren’t afraid to praise the company – are now furious…and desperate. Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Despite their good vibes, Cabeza de Chivo is not afraid to get political. Martina Ibáñez-Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Don’t be afraid to do your own thing and to say no to anyone trying to change or manipulate you. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afraid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near afraid

Cite this Entry

“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afraid. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on afraid

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