afraid

The word “afraid” means feeling fear; frightened. In plain terms, frightened, or (in polite speech) sorry to have to say something.

“Afraid” is pronounced uh-FRAYD (/əˈfɹeɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “afraid” used in a sentence: “She was afraid of the dark as a child.”

Words with a similar meaning to “afraid” include afeared, alarmed, anxious, apprehensive, chicken and concerned.

The opposite of “afraid” — its antonyms — are brave, calm and unafraid.

“Afraid” is an adjective.

The word “afraid” comes from Old French. From Middle English affrayed, the past participle of a verb meaning "to disturb the peace," ultimately from Old French — the same root that gives us "affray.".

“Afraid” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

The two are very close and usually interchangeable, both meaning to feel fear. Scared is more casual and often suggests a sudden fright, while afraid is slightly more formal and works well for lasting or general fear. One quirk: afraid is used before a noun far less than scared. We say "a scared child," rarely "an afraid child."

In polite English, "I'm afraid" often signals regret rather than fear. Saying "I'm afraid we're closed" is a gentle, courteous way to deliver bad or unwelcome news, meaning roughly "I'm sorry to say." The speaker is not frightened at all; it simply softens the disappointment for the listener.

Both mean feeling fear, and they overlap heavily. Frightened tends to describe the reaction to a specific, immediate scare, while afraid can also cover ongoing dread or worry about something in the future. You might be frightened by a sudden noise, yet afraid of what tomorrow will bring.

The opposite of afraid is a word meaning free from fear, such as unafraid, fearless, brave, or confident. Which fits best depends on context: "unafraid" simply negates the fear, while "brave" and "fearless" suggest actively facing danger. "Confident" works when the fear was really anxiety or self-doubt.