afraid

afraid
a|fraid
W2S1 [əˈfreıd] adj [not before noun]
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Past participle of affray 'to frighten' (14-19 centuries), from Old French affreer; AFFRAY]
1.) frightened because you think that you may get hurt or that something bad may happen
= ↑scared
▪ There's no need to be afraid.
afraid of (doing) sth
▪ kids who are afraid of the dark
▪ He was afraid of being caught by the police.
afraid to do sth
▪ Zoe was half afraid (=a little afraid) to go back in the house.
see usage note ↑fear1
2.) worried about what might happen, or that something bad will happen
afraid (that)
▪ He was afraid that the other kids would laugh at him.
afraid of (doing) sth
▪ I didn't tell her because I was afraid of upsetting her.
▪ The government was afraid of a public outcry.
afraid to do sth
▪ Don't be afraid to ask for help.
3.) afraid for sb/sth
worried that something bad may happen to a particular person or thing
▪ Her father looked ill and she was suddenly afraid for him.
▪ Many of us were afraid for our jobs.
4.) I'm afraid
spoken used to politely tell someone something that may annoy, upset, or disappoint them
▪ That's the most we can offer you, I'm afraid.
I'm afraid (that)
▪ I'm afraid you've come to the wrong address.
▪ 'Is she very ill?' ' I'm afraid so (=yes) .'
▪ 'Did you see him?' ' I'm afraid not (=no) .'

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Afraid — A*fraid , p. a. [OE. afrayed, affraide, p. p. of afraien to affray. See {Affray}, and cf. {Afeard}.] Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive. [Afraid comes after the noun it limits.] Back they recoiled, afraid. Milton. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • afraid — [ə frād′] adj. [ME affraied, pp. of affraien, AFFRAY] feeling fear; frightened; apprehensive: followed by of, that, or an infinitive: often used informally to indicate regret [I m afraid I can t go] SYN. AFRAID is applied to a general feeling of… …   English World dictionary

  • Afraid — «Afraid» Sencillo de Mötley Crüe del álbum Generation Swine Publicación 1997 Formato CD Grabación 1996 Género(s) Glam metal …   Wikipedia Español

  • afraid — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ fearful or anxious. ● I m afraid Cf. ↑I m afraid ORIGIN from Old French afrayer disturb, startle …   English terms dictionary

  • afraid — (adj.) early 14c., originally pp. of afray frighten, from Anglo Fr. afrayer, from O.Fr. esfreer (see AFFRAY (Cf. affray) (n.)). A rare case of an English adjective that never stands before a noun. Because it was used in A.V. Bible, it acquired… …   Etymology dictionary

  • afraid — afraid; un·afraid; …   English syllables

  • afraid — [adj1] fearful abashed, aghast, alarmed, anxious, apprehensive, aroused, blanched, cowardly, cowed, daunted, discouraged, disheartened, dismayed, distressed, disturbed, faint hearted, frightened, frozen, have cold feet*, horrified, in awe,… …   New thesaurus

  • afraid — I adjective affrighted, alarmed, anxious, apprehensive, cautious, distrustful, dreading, fearful, frightened, haunted by fear, leery, nervous, scared, shrinking, terrified, terror stricken, timid, timorous, uneasy II index caitiff, leery,… …   Law dictionary

  • afraid — *fearful, apprehensive Analogous words: alarmed, scared (see FRIGHTEN): timorous, *timid Antonyms: unafraid: sanguine Contrasted words: *cool, composed, imperturbable, collected: *confident, assured, sure …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • afraid — a|fraid [ ə freıd ] adjective never before noun *** 1. ) frightened, for example because you feel you are in danger: Don t be afraid, I won t hurt you. afraid of: Everyone seems to be afraid of her. He s afraid of flying. afraid to do something:… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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