Afraid

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈfɹeɪd/
• Rhymes: -eɪd

Origin

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- ("ex-") + 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"). Compare also afeard. More at free, friend.

Full definition of afraid

Adjective

1. (usually used predicative adjective, predicatively, not attributive adjective, attributively) Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.He is afraid of death.He is afraid to die.He is afraid that he will die.
2. (colloquial) regretful, sorryI am afraid I can not help you in this matter.

Usage notes

(Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive) Afraid expresses a lesser degree of fear than terrified or frightened. It is often followed by the preposition of and the object of fear, or by an infinitive, or by a dependent clause, as shown in the examples above.

Synonyms

• (Impressed with fear or apprehension) afeared, alarmed, anxious, apprehensive, fearful, timid, timorous
• (Regretful) sorry

Derived terms

• 'fraid
• afraidness
• I'm afraid not
• I'm afraid so
• unafraid