afraid

/əˈfreɪd/
/əˈfreɪd/
IPA guide

To be afraid is to be scared. People are afraid of snakes, bugs, heights, bears, death, and public speaking, among other things.

Being afraid means you have a fear of something — and people are afraid of all sorts of things, from guns to ghosts to being in arguments. People also say, "I'm afraid I have some bad news," which doesn't mean they're afraid of the news, but sorry that they have to share it. It's a similar situation for the saying "I'm afraid so," which is a nice way of saying "I'm sorry, but the answer is yes."

Definitions of afraid
  1. adjective
    filled with fear or apprehension
    “afraid even to turn his head”
    “suddenly looked afraid”
    “afraid for his life”
    “afraid of snakes”
    “afraid to ask questions”
    synonyms:
    acrophobic
    suffering from acrophobia; abnormally afraid of high places
    afeard, afeared
    a pronunciation of afraid
    aghast, appalled, dismayed, shocked
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    agoraphobic
    suffering from agoraphobia; abnormally afraid of open or public places
    alarmed
    experiencing a sudden sense of danger
    algophobic
    suffering from algophobia; abnormally afraid of pain
    apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    hangdog
    frightened into submission or compliance
    claustrophobic
    suffering from claustrophobia; abnormally afraid of closed-in places
    fearful
    experiencing or showing fear
    frightened, scared
    made afraid
    horrified, horror-stricken, horror-struck
    stricken with horror
    hunted
    reflecting the fear or terror of one who is hunted
    aquaphobic, hydrophobic
    abnormally afraid of water
    mysophobic
    suffering from mysophobia; abnormally afraid of dirt or contamination
    frightened, panic-stricken, panic-struck, panicked, panicky, terrified
    thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
    numb
    so frightened as to be unable to move; stunned or paralyzed with terror; petrified
    terror-stricken, terror-struck
    struck or filled with terror
    triskaidekaphobic
    suffering from triskaidekaphobia (abnormal fear of the number 13)
    unnerved
    deprived of courage and strength
    white-lipped
    having white lips from fear or terror
    xenophobic
    suffering from xenophobia; having abnormal fear or hatred of the strange or foreign
    timid
    showing fear and lack of confidence
    cowardly, fearful
    lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    unafraid
    oblivious of dangers or perils or calmly resolute in facing them
    unapprehensive
    not recognizing or slow to recognize danger
    unblinking, unflinching, unintimidated, unshrinking
    not shrinking from danger
    unfrightened
    not affected by fright
    bold
    fearless and daring
    brave, courageous
    possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    feeling worry or concern or insecurity
    “She was afraid that I might be embarrassed”
    “terribly afraid of offending someone”
    “I am afraid we have witnessed only the first phase of the conflict”
    synonyms:
    concerned
    feeling or showing worry or solicitude
  3. adjective
    having feelings of aversion or unwillingness
    “afraid of hard work”
    “afraid to show emotion”
    synonyms:
    disinclined
    unwilling because of mild dislike or disapproval
  4. adjective
    filled with regret or concern; used often to soften an unpleasant statement
    “I'm afraid I won't be able to come”
    “he was afraid he would have to let her go”
    “I'm afraid you're wrong”
    synonyms:
    concerned
    feeling or showing worry or solicitude
Pronunciation
US
/əˈfreɪd/
UK
/əˈfreɪd/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘afraid'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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