# afraid

> English word · Adjective · IPA /əˈfɹeɪd/ · frequency rank #2,027

## Definitions
1. Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.
2. Regretful, sorry; expressing a reluctance to face an unpleasant situation.
3. Worried about, feeling concern for, fearing for (someone or something).

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **arid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/afraid-vs-arid)
- **Afridi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/afraid-vs-afridi)
- **affair** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/affair-vs-afraid)

## Common misspellings (8)
`afarid`, `affraid`, `afradi`, `afraidd`, `afriad`, `afrraid`, `arfaid`, `faraid`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/afraid