afraid with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'afraid with' is not correct in written English.
You cannot use it in a sentence.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

Then, he added, "But I'm a little afraid with your marriage".

The New York Times

And that's the way, I'm afraid, with far too much of The Book of the People.

The Guardian - Books

"I'm afraid, with all this time, it has just spread through him," Ms. Dent said.

The New York Times

"But I'm afraid, with apologies to Lulu, I have to confess I was a Cilla girl".

The Guardian

"There are so many players who are afraid with the ball.

The Guardian - Sport

More cricketing references, I'm afraid, with 'bye' invitingly possible as a definition for SAYONARA.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

22 human-written examples

In this time of terror and suspicion, everyone is jumpy and afraid - with good reason.

The Guardian - Travel

This is acknowledged finally when Beauty (Josette Day) tells the Beast (Jean Marais) "I like being afraid... with you".

Independent

He was afraid that, with our help, the Albanians would rise up and win".

The New Yorker

I was afraid that with a baby I'd be off the market for good.

The New York Times

I think where my faith breaks down, I'm afraid, is with the higher echelons.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "afraid of" instead of "afraid with". "Afraid of" is the correct and widely accepted prepositional phrase to express fear.

Common error

Avoid using "with" after "afraid". The correct preposition to use is "of". For example, say "I am "afraid of" the dark" not "I am "afraid with" the dark".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "afraid with" functions as a verb phrase combined with a preposition, though it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI identifies that the correct usage is typically "afraid of". The intended function is to express a state of fear or apprehension associated with something.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Huffington Post

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

The Guardian

11%

Vice

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "afraid with" is a grammatically incorrect construction in English, as flagged by Ludwig AI. The correct and widely accepted form is ""afraid of"". Despite its incorrectness, the phrase appears with some frequency in diverse sources such as news articles, blogs and scientific publications; the semantic purpose is to communicate fear, anxiety or apprehension. While it's important to note the frequency of use, it is more important to use the right grammatical construction in your sentences, so ensure you are not using "afraid with" but rather ""afraid of"".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

afraid of

Replaces "with" with the correct preposition "of" to express fear or apprehension.

scared of

Uses "scared" as a synonym for "afraid" with the correct preposition "of".

fearful of

Employs "fearful" as a more formal synonym for "afraid", coupled with the correct preposition "of".

worried about

Substitutes "afraid" with "worried", indicating concern or anxiety about something.

anxious about

Replaces "afraid" with "anxious", suggesting a state of unease or nervousness.

concerned about

Uses "concerned" to express a milder form of fear or worry.

apprehensive about

Employs "apprehensive" for a more formal expression of anxiety or fear.

intimidated by

Indicates feeling fear or unease due to someone or something powerful.

uneasy about

Uses "uneasy" to convey a feeling of discomfort or anxiety.

frightened by

Replaces "afraid" with "frightened", indicating a sudden or intense feeling of fear.

FAQs

How to correctly use the word "afraid" in a sentence?

The word "afraid" is typically followed by the preposition "of". For example, "I am "afraid of" spiders" is correct, while "I am "afraid with" spiders" is not.

What are some alternatives to saying "I'm afraid of"?

You can use alternatives like "I'm scared of", "I'm fearful of", or "I'm worried about depending on the context". All of these options provide a similar meaning to "I'm afraid of".

Is it grammatically correct to say "I'm afraid with"?

No, it is not grammatically correct to say "I'm "afraid with"". The correct phrase is "I'm "afraid of"". Using "with" in this context is a common mistake.

What's the difference between "afraid of" and "scared of"?

While both phrases express fear, "scared of" is often considered more informal. "Afraid of" is generally suitable for both formal and informal contexts, while "scared of" is more common in casual conversation. They are largely interchangeable. Examples using "scared of" can be found on Ludwig.