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
Hundreds of refugees began rushing the rowboats; once those were filled, the oarsmen, worried about capsizing and afraid of being stranded, began beating people back.
—
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Some Tohono O’odham Nation members put out water or food for the migrants, others are afraid to.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 24 June 2024
The sophomore only stands at 5-foot-11, but has a strong arm and isn’t afraid to challenge defenses over the top.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2024
But the young and talented and feisty Orioles absolutely aren’t afraid of the Yankees and just showed it again, and are now 5-2 against them so far this season.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 22 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for afraid 
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Some Tohono O’odham Nation members put out water or food for the migrants, others are afraid to.
—Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 24 June 2024
The sophomore only stands at 5-foot-11, but has a strong arm and isn’t afraid to challenge defenses over the top.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2024
But the young and talented and feisty Orioles absolutely aren’t afraid of the Yankees and just showed it again, and are now 5-2 against them so far this season.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 22 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for afraid
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 7 Jul. 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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