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
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
Fischer says many of his friends who still work at Boeing are afraid to speak out.
—
Joel Rose, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Meredith is afraid her son is going to fall into those same circumstances.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
By now, Farr’s daughter was afraid to go to school.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Many may be afraid to sign up As of Jan. 1, undocumented residents of California between the ages of 26 and 49 are eligible to apply for Medi-Cal.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
There may be a service that helps people afraid to fly on Boeing planes find new flights, but one group that’s not scared to fly Boeing are the company’s executives.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
In November, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would give migrant and seasonal workers more labor protections, including access to union protections, in an effort to empower workers afraid to speak out against abuse from employers who brought them overseas.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024
Throwing Putin under the bus was never an option for Zhongnanhai, since China is afraid of potential instability in Russia and the prospect of a pro-Western regime installed in the Kremlin should Putin abruptly leave the political scene.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
Find who your friends are and don’t be afraid to ask them for help.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024
Joel Rose, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Meredith is afraid her son is going to fall into those same circumstances.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
By now, Farr’s daughter was afraid to go to school.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Many may be afraid to sign up As of Jan. 1, undocumented residents of California between the ages of 26 and 49 are eligible to apply for Medi-Cal.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
There may be a service that helps people afraid to fly on Boeing planes find new flights, but one group that’s not scared to fly Boeing are the company’s executives.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
In November, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would give migrant and seasonal workers more labor protections, including access to union protections, in an effort to empower workers afraid to speak out against abuse from employers who brought them overseas.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024
Throwing Putin under the bus was never an option for Zhongnanhai, since China is afraid of potential instability in Russia and the prospect of a pro-Western regime installed in the Kremlin should Putin abruptly leave the political scene.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
Find who your friends are and don’t be afraid to ask them for help.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 1 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near afraid
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afraid. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
afraid
adjective
ə-ˈfrād 
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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