Dictionary

afraid en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /əˈfɹeɪd/
• (US) audio
• /əˈfɹɛd/ (Southern-US)

Etymology

From Middle English affrayed, affraied, past participle of afraien (“to affray”), from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”), from Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”), from es- (“out”) + freer (“to secure, secure the peace”), from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from Proto-Germanic *frijōną (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy- (“to like, love”). By surface analysis, affray + -ed. Compare also afeard. More at free, friend.

Meanings

1. (predicative) Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.
   • I went through the worst Ku Klux proposition in the country at the time it was at its height. And I had to go down to the Ku Klux meeting and tell them what I thought of them, and I wasn't afraid of them at all. And I'm not afraid of this situation because I think it'll work out in a way that when these people sit down and get a chance to think and study the situation, they're going to be ashamed of some of the things they've done. 1964, Harry S. Truman, 2:28 from the start, in MP2002-77 Former President Truman Discusses Bigotry in the United States, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162:
   • I’m not afraid of telling / to tell you the truth: I'm reluctant to go in you car because I’m too afraid of crashing.
   • He is afraid to ask her out.
   • He is afraid of death.
   • He is afraid of the future.
2. (predicative) Regretful, sorry; expressing a reluctance to face an unpleasant situation.
   • I am afraid I cannot help you in this matter.
3. (predicative) Worried about, feeling concern for, fearing for (someone or something).

Forms

Antonyms

brave · unafraid · calm

Deriveds

I'm afraid not · unafraid · I'm afraid so · afraid of one's own shadow · afraidly · fraidy · afraidness · unafraidly · I am afraid of this · I'm afraid · nonafraid

Hypernyms

emotionful · emotional

Hyponyms

scared spitless · shit scared · paranoid · nervous · spooked · scared shitless · petrified · scared half to death · scared to death · scared stiff

Relateds

afeared · affray · afear · coward · fear · fray · frighten

Synonyms

scared · apprehensive · terrified · timid · anxious · fearful · afeared · panicked · frightened · frit · anxious · mortified · afraid · sorry · fearful · chicken · alarmed · worried · apprehensive · horrified · concerned · shocked · wary · creeped out · afeared · startled · alarmed · timorous · timorous

Translations (94)

de leider (regretful, sorry) · fi pelätä (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · lv bail (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ja 怖い (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · lv bailīgs (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · fi peloissaan (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es temerse que (regretful, sorry) · he יָרֵא (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · de bedauern (regretful, sorry) · la metuēns (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · la timidus (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · sh prestrašen (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · sk vystrašený (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ga eaglach (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · fi pahoillaan (regretful, sorry) · fo bangin (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · pl bać się (regretful, sorry) · sv rädd (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · bg изпла́шен (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · aho 𑜀𑜤𑜰𑜫 (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · pt com medo (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · mi pūihi (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · no redd (regretful, sorry) · tl takot (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · th กลัว (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · cs vystrašený (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ar مَرْعُوب (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · vi đáng sợ (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · tet ta'uk (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · uk наляканий (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · hu sajnos (regretful, sorry) · es con temor (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · lo ກົວ (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · cs bojácný (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es que tiene miedo (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ar خَائِف (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ru испу́ганный (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · enm dredful (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · cmn 怕 (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · nl bevreesd (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · he מְפַחֵד (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · chn kwäss (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es que le da miedo (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · pt temer (regretful, sorry) · de ängstlich (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · lou pè (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · da bange (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · lou pœr (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · id takut (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · cmn 恐怕 (regretful, sorry) · eo tima (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · hu sajnál (regretful, sorry) · cmn 害怕 (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ms takut (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · fo ræddur (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ko 무서워하다 (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · nl bang (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ca amb por (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es asustado (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · mk уплашен (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · cs bázlivý (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · mi mataku (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ajp خايف (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · nrf êpeûthé (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ngh ǃauke (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ngh ǃauka (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · hu fél (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · acw خايف (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · got 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐍃 (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · no redd (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · aa mesitiyya (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · shn ၵူဝ် (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ga is eagal le (regretful, sorry) · fi pelkäänpä (regretful, sorry) · uk ляка́тися (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es con susto (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es que teme (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · be які́ баі́цца (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · kk қорыққан (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · es con miedo (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · khb ᦷᦂ (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · fr effrayé (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · it con paura (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ute i'javaga (Chemehuevi) (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · lo ຢ້ານ (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · hu attól tart (regretful, sorry) · ru что ... (regretful, sorry) · mi koera (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · tr korkak (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · ru боя́ться (regretful, sorry) · pl bać się (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · mi uruwehi (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · no engstelig (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) · hy վախեցած (impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive)