Afraid
/əˈfreɪd/noun
Feeling fear or anxiety; frightened.
Did you know?The word 'afraid' is linked to the Old English 'afræd', which originally meant 'to be in fear of spiritual beings or the unknown.'
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*afraida
“to be terrified or alarmed.”
Old English
OE
afræd
“fearful, terrified, frightened.”
Middle English
ME
afraid
“feeling fear, especially of the unknown.”
Modern English
English
afraid
“experiencing fear or anxiety.”