afraid

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Feeling fear; frightened of someone or something.

   He is afraid of the dark.

2. 2
   adj

   Used politely to say you are sorry about something unpleasant.

   I'm afraid I can't help you with this.

3. 3
   adj

   Worried that something bad might happen.

   She was afraid that she might fail the exam.

Common collocations

• terribly afraid Adverb + adjective
• mortally afraid Adverb + adjective

From Middle English affrayed, affraied, past participle of afraien (“to affray”), from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”), from Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”), from es- (“out”) + freer (“to secure, secure the peace”), from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from Proto-Germanic *frijōną (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy- (“to like, love”). By surface analysis, affray + -ed. Compare also afeard. More at free, friend.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images