Afraid

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈfɹeɪd/

Definitions

1. feeling fear or anxiety about something that might happen or exist
2. experiencing a sense of fear or apprehension regarding potential danger or harm
3. having a heightened emotional response characterized by fear or concern over possible threats or negative outcomes

Etymology: "Afraid" is the past participle of an old verb, "affray," that once meant to frighten or disturb, and its roots run back to the idea of peace. The Old French "esfreer" meant to disturb or remove the peace from something, built from "es-" ("out") and "freer," meaning to secure or protect peace. Behind that lies a Frankish word for security and peace, which connects to the Proto-Germanic "frijōną," meaning both "to free" and "to love." So a word now used for trembling in fear grew from a notion of being safe and at peace. The English verb "affray" came from Anglo-Norman "afrayer," which meant to terrify or disquiet. Over time it was used in its participle form, "affrayed" or "affraied," and that worn-down spelling became "afraid." Something of the original verb survives in the separate word "affray," meaning a noisy public fight, which descends from the same stock. A related older form, "afeard," still appears in older English writing and shows the same idea of fear taking hold of someone.

Synonyms: scared, fearful, frightened, terrified, apprehensive

Antonyms: brave, confident, fearless, courageous, unafraid