afraid
[ uh-freyd ]
/ əˈfreɪd /
adjective
feeling fear; filled with apprehension: afraid to go.
feeling regret, unhappiness, or the like: I'm afraid we can't go on Monday.
feeling reluctance, unwillingness, distaste, or the like: He seemed afraid to show his own children a little kindness.
Origin of afraid
variant spelling of
affrayed, past participle of
affray to disturb, frighten
SYNONYMS FOR afraid
synonym study for afraid
1.
Afraid,
alarmed,
frightened,
terrified all indicate a state of fear.
Afraid implies inner apprehensive disquiet:
afraid of the dark.
Alarmed implies that the feelings are aroused through realization of some imminent or unexpected danger to oneself or others:
alarmed by (or
about )
someone's illness.
Frightened means shocked with sudden, but usually short-lived, fear, especially that arising from apprehension of physical harm:
frightened by an accident.
Terrified suggests the emotional reaction when one is struck with a violent, overwhelming fear:
terrified by an earthquake.
OTHER WORDS FROM afraid
half-a·fraid, adjective un·a·fraid, adjectiveWords nearby afraid
afp,
afr,
afr-,
afr.,
afraes,
afraid,
afraid of one's own shadow,
aframerican,
afrasia,
afrasian,
afreet
Example sentences from the Web for afraid
British Dictionary definitions for afraid
afraid
/ (əˈfreɪd) /
adjective (postpositive)
(often foll by of)
feeling fear or apprehension; frightened
he was afraid of cats
reluctant (to do something), as through fear or timidity
he was afraid to let himself go
(often foll by that; used to lessen the effect of an unpleasant statement)
regretful
I'm afraid that I shall have to tell you to go
Word Origin for afraid
C14:
affraied, past participle of
affray (to frighten)