Collocations for "afraid"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "afraid" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
afraid
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.adj
- afraid of [the dark, heights, spiders, ghosts, the ride]
- I am not afraid of [you, death]
- has [always, never] been afraid (of)
- afraid of [failing, losing, looking, being]
- afraid of [failure, what might happen]
- [helpless, cold, alone] and afraid
- was afraid to [ask, suggest, tell, go]
- afraid for my [friends, life, safety, sanity]
- what are you afraid of?
- don't be afraid
- I'm afraid not
- I'm afraid to [say, tell you]
- I'm afraid (that) she's [not here, away, in a meeting]
- I'm afraid I [can't, won't be able to]
- I'm afraid it [might, may, will] hurt (a little)
- I can't [tell you, do it], I'm afraid
'afraid' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
admit
- answer
- available
- basement
- bee
- both
- cemetery
- climbing
- clown
- cramped
- creepy
- crowd
- crowded
- dark
- death
- dentist
- disagree
- discipline
- dive
- drowning
- emotion
- enclosed
- familiar
- fearful
- feel
- flying
- ghost
- graveyard
- height
- homosexual
- hornet
- howl
- lizard
- luck
- menu
- might
- mistaken
- needle
- news
- pointed
- precious
- rejection
- shadow
- somewhat
- spider
- stammer
- surgery
- thunder
- use
- vacuum