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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of afraid
During the most recent war, videos circulated online of construction workers from China who filmed themselves stranded high in the air during missile barrages, afraid and without protection.
—
Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
It's all led to more Latinos seeking office to defend their communities and give voice to those who may be afraid to speak out in the current political climate.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
By making people feel deeply insecure and afraid, the fascists could pose as their saviors.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Chef Toni Romero isn't afraid to push the boundaries.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
It's all led to more Latinos seeking office to defend their communities and give voice to those who may be afraid to speak out in the current political climate.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
By making people feel deeply insecure and afraid, the fascists could pose as their saviors.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Chef Toni Romero isn't afraid to push the boundaries.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for afraid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afraid
Adjective
-
There were a number of people who were very, very scared.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
From then on, no more physical abuse occurs in front of the camera, though there is tension in the air during many of Joe's scenes, as Michael is scared of standing up to his dad until the very end.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fetch Foster Rescue has taken in animals from households whose homes were completely destroyed, and the organization’s immediate focus is keeping those frightened pets as relaxed as possible while storm cleanup continues across the community.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Witnesses describe the dogs as frightened and wary rather than dangerous — a pair of scared animals looking for food, not a fight.—
Ryan Brennan
April 21,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The key cabin crew are flight attendants Penny (Lucy Barrett) and Zoe (Na Shi), both of whom demonstrate bravery, to different ends, and show caring attention to the terrified children.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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Though Ridley Scott works in a drastically different tone than the one John Carpenter brought to Dark Star, the two films share screenwriter Dan O’Bannon’s darkly comedic view of a future that has reduced humans to alternately bored and terrified cogs in larger machines.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My agent, Marty Diamond, had to face down a steady stream of ‘no’s from fearful artist reps.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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The question of whether Balzac’s fear was real is perhaps less interesting than the work the story does to position the fearful encounter as simply a symptom of innovation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Let’s not confuse slightly horrified admiration for Irina’s determination with admiration for her as a person.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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As the scene was projected onto a screen, Jude seemed slightly horrified to see himself in front of the camera rather than behind it.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When the shots rang out, the first lady looked alarmed.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The company in March Nielsen delayed the release of the February results of its popular tabulation after some clients became alarmed by a downturn in streaming audiences following a decision by the measurement giant to add new data to its mix.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The pair shared a sweet slideshow on Instagram in December 2023 that showed Wilson getting down on one knee in front of a Christmas tree to ask a shocked van der Pol to marry him.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
His death has left many shocked and outraged.—
Naveen Dhaliwal,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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So how worried should these teams be?—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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People that maybe have a more precarious position in the industry and are worried and see AI as a threat — which is absolutely valid — and younger people, younger actors and musicians.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Afraid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afraid. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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