Afraid Or Frightened?
You can be ‘afraid of ‘ something and you can be ‘frightened of’ something. They mean the same thing.
I’m afraid of sharks.
She’s frightened of getting old.
You can also say that you are ‘frightened to’ or ‘afraid to’ do something:
I’m afraid to speak up.
People are frightened to leave their doors unlocked.
You can use ‘frightened’ before or after the noun.
The cat is frightened.
It’s a frightened cat.
But you don’t use ‘afraid’ before a noun. You only use it after the noun.
The cat is afraid.
‘Afraid’ can be used to politely express regret, like this:
I’m afraid that we don’t stock that item
