afraid

afraid — adjective

1. scared of a person, animal, thing, or activity, often because you think it could

1.形容詞A2
釋義

scared of a person, animal, thing, or activity, often because you think it could harm you.

例句

Mia is afraid of dogs after a poodle bit her finger.

be afraid of + noun (the thing feared)

Many young children are afraid of the dark at bedtime.

同義詞
  • scared

    more informal everyday word; also predicative only

  • frightened

    slightly more formal; can sit before a noun ('a frightened child')

  • terrified

    much stronger — extreme fear

反義詞
  • unafraid

    literary, less common in speech

  • fearless

    showing no fear at all, often as a positive trait

文法句型

be afraid of + noun

be afraid of + -ing

用法筆記

'Afraid' is predicative only — it goes after a verb like 'be', 'feel', 'look', or 'seem'. Before a noun, use 'frightened' or 'scared' instead (a frightened child, NOT an afraid child).

常見錯誤

❌She is an afraid girl.
✅She is a frightened girl.
💡'afraid' cannot sit before a noun; use 'frightened' or 'scared' as the attributive form.
❌I am afraid from spiders.
✅I am afraid of spiders.
💡the preposition is always 'of', never 'from'.

2. worried that something bad may happen, or unwilling to do something because of t

2.形容詞A2
釋義

worried that something bad may happen, or unwilling to do something because of that worry.

例句

Saoirse was afraid that she would fail her driving test on Saturday.

be afraid + that-clause for a feared outcome

Yara was afraid to ask her boss for a pay rise.

be afraid + to-infinitive for hesitation

同義詞
  • worried

    general anxiety; doesn't take to-infinitive the same way

  • anxious

    stronger and more lasting worry

  • reluctant

    for the 'afraid to do' sense — emphasises unwillingness, not fear

反義詞

文法句型

be afraid (that) + clause

be afraid to + verb

用法筆記

Two patterns with different shades: 'be afraid that…' reports a worried thought; 'be afraid to do…' shows hesitation about acting. Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 1 names what you fear (a noun), this sense names what might happen or what you avoid doing.

常見錯誤

❌I am afraid of go to the dentist.
✅I am afraid to go to the dentist.
💡use the to-infinitive when talking about an action you avoid, not 'of' + base verb.
❌She was afraid for losing her job.
✅She was afraid that she would lose her job.
💡use a that-clause, not 'for' + -ing, to express the worry.

3. a polite phrase used to soften unpleasant news, a refusal, or a disagreement — t

3.形容詞B1
釋義

a polite phrase used to soften unpleasant news, a refusal, or a disagreement — the speaker is not actually scared, only sorry to deliver the message.

例句

I'm afraid the doctor cannot see you until next Tuesday.

I'm afraid + clause to soften disappointing news

I'm afraid we have sold the last ticket for tonight's concert.

同義詞
  • sorry

    'I'm sorry, but…' carries similar regret; slightly warmer

  • regret

    'I regret to say…' is more formal, used in writing

  • unfortunately

    an adverb alternative; less personal

文法句型

I'm afraid (that) + clause

I'm afraid so / I'm afraid not

用法筆記

Pragmatic softener, NOT real fear. Almost always first-person and present tense ('I'm afraid', sometimes 'we're afraid'). Distinguish from sense 2 — here the speaker feels regret about telling you, not worry that something might happen.

常見錯誤

❌He is afraid the shop is closed.' (when reporting bad news politely)
✅I'm afraid the shop is closed.
💡the polite-softener use is fixed in the first person; in third person it sounds like real fear.
❌I'm afraid of telling you, the meeting is cancelled.
✅I'm afraid the meeting is cancelled.
💡drop 'of telling you'; the softener is just 'I'm afraid' followed directly by the news.

4. used when you have to agree with something or confirm 'yes', even though the ans

4.形容詞B1
釋義

used when you have to agree with something or confirm 'yes', even though the answer makes you or the listener unhappy.

例句

Did the cat eat the goldfish? I'm afraid so — there are scales on the floor.

'I'm afraid so' = a sad 'yes' to an unwelcome question

Is grandma still in hospital? I'm afraid so, and the doctors want more tests.

'I'm afraid so' confirms an unwelcome 'yes'

同義詞
反義詞
  • happily

    'happily, yes' — a cheerful confirmation

文法句型

I'm afraid so

I'm afraid (that) + clause confirming bad fact

用法筆記

Closely related to sense 3, but specifically used to confirm a 'yes' answer that the speaker wishes were 'no'. The fixed reply 'I'm afraid so' belongs here. Distinguish from sense 3 — sense 3 introduces fresh bad news; sense 4 reluctantly agrees with what was just suggested or asked.

常見錯誤

❌A: Is the report finished? B: Yes, I'm afraid.
✅A: Is the report finished? B: I'm afraid so.
💡the fixed reply is 'I'm afraid so', not a trailing 'I'm afraid'.
❌I'm afraid so' to mean a happy 'yes'.
✅Use plain 'Yes' or 'Yes, definitely'.
💡'I'm afraid so' always carries regret about the answer.