Afraid

Afraid is an adjective describing a feeling of fear, anxiety, or apprehension in response to a perceived threat or uncertainty. It can describe a temporary emotional state, as in "I am afraid of spiders," or a more general fear, as in "She is afraid to try new things." The phrase "to be afraid" is commonly followed by "of" or "to" (afraid of X, afraid to do X). In addition, "afraid" is frequently used as a polite hedge in speech, for example "I'm afraid I can't attend," which conveys regret rather than the literal sense of fear.

Causes and variation: Fear can be rational, such as danger, or irrational, such as certain phobias or anxiety disorders. The strength and duration of afraid reflect the intensity and context of the fear, and may be influenced by past experiences, culture, and information.

Language and culture: The word appears in literature and media to convey vulnerability; it has synonyms like afraid, frightened, fearful, scared, anxious, and an antonym fearless. Differences: "afraid" tends to be less intense than "terrified" and more conservative than "scared" in formal writing.

See also: fear, anxiety, phobia, hedging, linguistics.