Finesentence

Afraid Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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afraid

afraid

🇺🇸 /əˈfɹeɪd/ · 🇬🇧 /ɐfɹˈeɪd/

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

feeling

feeling fear or anxiety; frightened

Synonyms

anxious, fearful, nervous, scared, terrified.

Examples of usage

  • She was afraid of the dark.
  • He was afraid to ask for help.
  • I'm afraid I can't make it to the party.
  • The loud noise made the dog afraid.
  • She avoided the haunted house because she was afraid.
Context #2 | Adjective

concerned

feeling worry or concern about a possible event or situation

Synonyms

apprehensive, concerned, distressed, uneasy, worried.

Examples of usage

  • I'm afraid he won't like the gift.
  • She's afraid her presentation won't go well.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Quick facts about “afraid”

Afraid is a 1-syllable adjective. It is pronounced /əˈfɹeɪd/ in American English and /ɐfɹˈeɪd/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 2 meanings, 10 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #2,449 among the most common English words.

Origin of 'afraid'

The word 'afraid' originated from the Middle English word 'afered', which meant frightened or scared. It has roots in Old English and Germanic languages. Over time, the word evolved to its current form 'afraid' in Modern English. The concept of fear and being afraid has been a fundamental aspect of human emotion and survival throughout history, with expressions of fear playing a significant role in art, literature, and psychology.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #2,449, this word belongs to solid intermediate vocabulary. It's frequently used in both casual and formal contexts and is worth learning for better fluency.