Afraid

Pronunciation: /əˈfreɪd/

Definitions of afraid

adjective feeling fear or anxiety; frightened

Example Sentences

A1 I am afraid of spiders.

A2 She is afraid of flying.

B1 He is afraid to ask for help.

B2 They were afraid of the consequences.

C1 The politician was afraid of losing the election.

C2 Despite his confident demeanor, deep down he was afraid of failure.

Examples of afraid in a Sentence

formal She was afraid of making a mistake in front of her boss.

informal I'm afraid I can't make it to the party tonight.

slang I'm too afraid to ask her out on a date.

figurative He was afraid of taking the leap and starting his own business.

Grammatical Forms of afraid

• past tense: was afraid
• plural: afraids
• comparative: more afraid
• superlative: most afraid
• present tense: is afraid
• future tense: will be afraid
• perfect tense: have been afraid
• continuous tense: is being afraid
• singular: afraid
• positive degree: afraid
• infinitive: to be afraid
• gerund: being afraid
• participle: afraid

Origin and Evolution of afraid

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'afraid' originated from the Old English word 'afrægan' which means to terrify or frighten.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'afraid' has evolved to encompass feelings of fear, anxiety, and unease.