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
Palestinians were horrified by the Hamas attacks, but also bothered by the sense that they were expected to condemn them, and afraid of Israel’s response to come.
—
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
With tensions at Columbia continuing to run high and some students afraid to set foot on the campus, officials said the university will switch to hybrid learning for the rest of the semester.
—Nick Perry and Karen Matthews The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Apr. 2024
Netflix isn’t afraid of turning older movies into franchises.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
The author also noted that being afraid of how a book may be received can also help propel her work further.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Allenby Augustin, the Centre d’Art’s executive director, recently described how some artists, afraid of having to suddenly flee their homes and leave their work behind, bring their pieces to the center or keep them in friends’ homes in different parts of the city.
—Edwidge Danticat, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024
Defensive coordinators in the NFL are afraid of one thing: someone getting behind the defense.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
She was surrendered after her previous family was caring for too many pets and grew afraid of their apartment complex catching them, according to Jimenez and an online adoption profile.
—Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
Fischer says many of his friends who still work at Boeing are afraid to speak out.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
With tensions at Columbia continuing to run high and some students afraid to set foot on the campus, officials said the university will switch to hybrid learning for the rest of the semester.
—Nick Perry and Karen Matthews The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Apr. 2024
Netflix isn’t afraid of turning older movies into franchises.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024
The author also noted that being afraid of how a book may be received can also help propel her work further.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Allenby Augustin, the Centre d’Art’s executive director, recently described how some artists, afraid of having to suddenly flee their homes and leave their work behind, bring their pieces to the center or keep them in friends’ homes in different parts of the city.
—Edwidge Danticat, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024
Defensive coordinators in the NFL are afraid of one thing: someone getting behind the defense.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
She was surrendered after her previous family was caring for too many pets and grew afraid of their apartment complex catching them, according to Jimenez and an online adoption profile.
—Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
Fischer says many of his friends who still work at Boeing are afraid to speak out.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 12 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 29 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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