AFRAID Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'afraid' different from other adjectives like it?

The words apprehensive and fearful are common synonyms of afraid . While all three words mean "disturbed by fear," afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance. // afraid to speak the truth

Q: When is it sensible to use 'apprehensive' instead of 'afraid'?

The words apprehensive and afraid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger. // apprehensive of being found out

Q: When can 'fearful' be used instead of 'afraid'?

The meanings of fearful and afraid largely overlap; however, fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament. // the child is fearful of loud noises

afraid

adjective

ə-ˈfrād

Definition of afraid

as in scared

filled with fear or dread Melissa is afraid of flying, so she takes a train from Boston to visit her brother in Chicago

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How is the word afraid different from other adjectives like it?

The words apprehensive and fearful are common synonyms of afraid. While all three words mean "disturbed by fear," afraid often suggests weakness or cowardice and regularly implies inhibition of action or utterance.

afraid to speak the truth

When is it sensible to use apprehensive instead of afraid?

The words apprehensive and afraid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, apprehensive suggests a state of mind and implies a premonition of evil or danger.

apprehensive of being found out

When can fearful be used instead of afraid?

The meanings of fearful and afraid largely overlap; however, fearful implies often a timorous or worrying temperament.

the child is fearful of loud noises

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of afraid But Johnson isn’t afraid to push — for better processing speed, for improved understanding of the game, for more steadiness. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Family members of patients noticed the nurse sloppily taking out IV needles but were afraid to confront her. — Alexandra Byrne, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026 Trump inauguration pastor warns Christians in Dearborn are 'afraid to talk about Christ'. — FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 DeChatelet, an acting instructor at Florida Atlantic University, uses his halting speech to depict a person who’s afraid of offending anyone. — Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for afraid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for afraid

Adjective

Across the playground, Star climbed to the top of a slide, then got too scared to come down.

— Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
The movie is skipping festivals, which suggests that Warners is scared of critics.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of scared

Adjective

In the second test, 12 dogs were shown happy faces, as well as sad, frightened, and angry ones.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, frightened fans and TikTok moderators were among those who called authorities.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightened

Adjective

Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.

— Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.

— Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrified

Adjective

Yet these survivors are so hard-wired to be fearful of their neighbors that Hig and Cima’s rusty, tentative flirtation takes place under the gaze of her daddy’s gun, a heck of a chaperone.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
The regime’s final refuge now lies in the self-deception of fearful nations that still believe accommodating aggression can secure a durable peace.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of fearful

Adjective

The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.

— Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Chan's death comes after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also alarmed fans on a TikTok livestream when police were called to his home after reports of self-harm.

— Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Adjective

The man who was shocked was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with life-threatening injuries.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
But something fascinating was happening behind the scenes, coinciding with the disaster that had sent Olin overseas and left her bandmates, Augustin and Nathan Slone — located in New York City — shocked.

— Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocked

Adjective

It’s mainly centered on Billie, who is worried about an old Facebook post standing in the way of finding a job.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
The Middle East has long worried about its dependence on the United States and has thus been diversifying its partnerships since the Arab Spring, in 2011.

— Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

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aforethought

afraid

afreet

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“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of afraid

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