Afraid

/əˈfreɪd/ adjective

Definition

Feeling fear or anxiety about something.

Etymology

From Middle English affrayed — alarmed, past participle of affray (to disturb, frighten), from Old French esfreer, from Latin ex- + Frankish *fridu (peace). Literally de-peaced.

Kelly Says

Afraid literally means de-peaced — your peace has been taken away. The word comes from the same root as the German Frieden (peace). When you are afraid, your inner peace has been disturbed. Courage is the act of restoring that peace while still in motion.

Translations

AMአማርኛ
የፈራ
ye-fe-ra
ARالعربية
خائف
khah-eef
BNবাংলা
ভীত
bheet
CSČeština
vystrašený
VEE-strah-sheh-nee
DADansk
bange
BAHNG-eh
DEDeutsch
ängstlich
ENGST-leekh
ELΕλληνικά
φοβισμένος
fo-vees-MEH-nos
ESEspañol
asustado
ah-soos-TAH-do
FAفارسی
ترسیده
tar-see-deh
FISuomi
peloissaan
PEH-loy-sahn
FRFrançais
effrayé
eh-freh-YEH
GUGU
ડરેલો
da-re-lo
HAHA
mai tsoro
mai tso-ro
HEעברית
מפוחד
me-fu-khad
HIहिन्दी
डरा हुआ
da-ra hu-ah
HUMagyar
félős
FEH-lursh
IDBahasa Indonesia
takut
tah-koot
IGIG
ụjọ
oo-joh
ITItaliano
spaventato
spah-ven-TAH-to
JA日本語
怖がっている
ko-wa-gat-te i-ru
KKKK
қорыққан
qo-riq-qan
KMKM
ខ្លាច
klach
KO한국어
무서워하는
mu-seo-wo-ha-neun
MRMR
घाबरलेला
gha-bar-le-la
MSBahasa Melayu
takut
tah-koot
MYမြန်မာ
ကြောက်သော
kyauk-thaw
NLNederlands
bang
bahng
NONorsk
redd
rehd
PAPA
ਡਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ
da-ri-ah ho-i-ah
PLPolski
przestraszony
psheh-strah-SHO-nih
PTPortuguês
com medo
kom MEH-do
RORomână
speriat
speh-ree-AHT
RUРусский
испуганный
ees-poo-GAH-niy
SVSvenska
rädd
rehd
SWKiswahili
mwenye hofu
mwen-yeh ho-foo
TAதமிழ்
பயந்த
pa-yan-tha
TEతెలుగు
భయపడిన
bha-ya-pa-di-na
THไทย
กลัว
gluah
TLTL
takot
tah-kot
TRTürkçe
korkmuş
kork-moosh
UKУкраїнська
наляканий
nah-lyah-KAH-niy
URاردو
خوفزدہ
khawf-za-dah
VITiếng Việt
sợ hãi
suh high
YOYO
ẹ̀rù
eh-roo
ZH中文
害怕
hai-pa
ZUZU
esaba
eh-sah-bah

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Fear and vulnerability have been socially permitted more for women and discouraged for men, shaping who is allowed to say 'I’m afraid.' Women’s fears, especially about safety, have also been minimized or dismissed.

Inclusive Usage

Describe fear as a human response across genders; avoid mocking or shaming expressions of fear, particularly in contexts of violence or discrimination.

Inclusive Alternatives

["fearful","scared","concerned"]

Related Words

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