Definition of 'afraid'
1. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE, ADJECTIVE to-infinitive]
If you are afraid of someone or afraid to do something, you are frightened because you think that something very unpleasant is going to happen to you.
2. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
4.
See I'm afraid
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
afraid in British English
adjective (postpositive)
3. (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
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14: affraied, past participle of affray (to frighten)
Word Frequency
afraid in American English
adjective
SYNONYMY NOTE: afraid is applied to a general feeling of fear or disquiet and is the broadest in application
of all the words considered here [to be afraid of the dark, to be afraid to die]; frightened implies a sudden, usually temporary seizure of fear [ the child was frightened by the dog]; timid implies a lack of courage or self-confidence and suggests overcautiousness or shyness
[too timid to ask for an explanation]; timorous, fearful suggest a feeling of disquiet and a tendency to worry rather than an alarming fear
[fearful of making an error]; terrify verb transitive implies intense, overwhelming fear [he stood terrified as the tiger charged] feeling fear; frightened; apprehensive
followed by of, that, or an infinitive: often used informally to indicate regret I'm afraid I can't go
OPPOSITES: brave, bold
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
afraid in American English
(əˈfreid)
adjective
SYNONYMS 1. scared, fearful, disquieted, apprehensive, timid, timorous. 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, esp. 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. ANTONYMS 1. bold, confident, fearless.3.
feeling reluctance, unwillingness, distaste, or the like
He seemed afraid to show his own children a little kindness
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[var. sp. of affrayed, ptp. of affray to disturb, frighten]Examples of 'afraid' in a sentence
afraid
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In other languages
afraid
British English: afraid
/əˈfreɪd/ ADJECTIVE
If you are afraid of someone or afraidto do something, you are frightened because you think that something horrible is going to happen.
- American English: afraid /əˈfreɪd/
- Arabic: خائِف
- Brazilian Portuguese: com medo
- Chinese: 害怕
- Croatian: uplašen
- Czech: vystrašený
- Danish: bange
- Dutch: bang
- European Spanish: temeroso
- Finnish: peloissaan
- French: effrayé
- German: fürchten (sich)
- Greek: φοβισμένος
- Italian: timoroso
- Japanese: ・・・が怖い
- Korean: ...을 두려워하여
- Norwegian: redd
- Polish: przestraszony
- European Portuguese: com medo
- Romanian: speriat
- Russian: испуганный
- Latin American Spanish: temeroso
- Swedish: rädd
- Thai: กลัว
- Turkish: korkmuş
- Ukrainian: наляканий
- Vietnamese: sợ
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Definition of afraid from the Collins English Dictionary
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