afraidness

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the state of being afraid; fearfulness (rare)

   A sudden afraidness gripped the child in the dark.

From afraid + -ness; afraid is the past participle of the archaic verb affray ('to startle, frighten'), from Old French esfreer ('to disturb'), from Vulgar Latin *exfridare, ultimately from Frankish *frithu ('peace').

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