| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024a•fraid /əˈfreɪd/USA pronunciation adj. [be + ~]- feeling fear;
filled with apprehension:suddenly became afraid.[~ + of]afraid of heights.[~ + to + verb]was afraid to go outside. - [~ + (that) clause] feeling regret or unhappiness: I'm afraid we can't go.
- feeling reluctance or unwillingness: [~ + of]was afraid of asking questions.[~ + to + verb]was afraid to ask questions.[~ + (that) clause]Can't I stay overnight at her house? —I'm afraid you can't = (I'm sorry, but you can't).
afraid and fearful are adjectives, fear is both a noun and a verb:I was afraid of monsters. They are fearful of retaliation from the gang. He was paralyzed by fear. He fears that he may have to tell her what he did. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024a•fraid (ə frād′),USA pronunciation adj. - feeling fear;
filled with apprehension:afraid to go. - feeling regret, unhappiness, or the like:I'm afraid we can't go on Monday.
- feeling reluctance, unwillingness, distaste, or the like:He seemed afraid to show his own children a little kindness.
- variant spelling, spelled of affrayed, past participle of affray to disturb, frighten
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged scared, fearful, disquieted, apprehensive, timid, timorous. Afraid, alarmed, frightened, terrified all indicate a state of fear. Afraid implies inner apprehensive disquiet:afraid of the dark.Alarmed implies that the feelings are aroused through realization of some imminent or unexpected danger to oneself or others:alarmed by(or about) someone's illness. Frightened means shocked with sudden, but usually short-lived, fear, esp. that arising from apprehension of physical harm:frightened by an accident.Terrified suggests the emotional reaction when one is struck with a violent, overwhelming fear:terrified by an earthquake.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged bold, confident, fearless.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: afraid /əˈfreɪd/ adj (postpositive)- (often followed by of) feeling fear or apprehension; frightened
- reluctant (to do something), as through fear or timidity
- often followed by that; used to lessen the effect of an unpleasant statement: regretful: I'm afraid that I shall have to tell you to go
Etymology: 14th Century: affraied, past participle of affray (to frighten) |