fraid

(I'm) (a)fraid not

A response used to reluctantly decline an invitation or politely answer a question in the negative, indicating regret that the answer is "no." When the phrase is abbreviated to "fraid not," an apostrophe is often used in place of the missing letter. A: "Will you be able to attend the meeting tomorrow?" B: "I'm afraid not. I'm going to be out of town." A: "Could you loan me a hundred bucks?" B: "’Fraid not. I'm broke."
See also: not

(I'm) (a)fraid so

A response used to politely answer a question in the affirmative when the speaker regrets that this is the case. When the phrase is abbreviated to "fraid so," an apostrophe is often used in place of the missing letter. A: "Are you really moving all the way across the country?" B: "I'm afraid so." A: "Are you going to be working late again tonight?" B: "’Fraid so."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • (I'm) (a)fraid not
  • afraid
  • afraid not
  • civil
  • deserve
  • a civil question deserves a civil answer
  • (I'm) (a)fraid so
  • afraid so
  • reply
  • a dusty answer
References in classic literature
"I tell yeh what I'm 'fraid of, Henry--I 'll tell yeh what I 'm 'fraid of.
Red Badge of Courage
"'Fraid! De Smith-Pocahontases ain't 'fraid o' nothin', let alone bullets."
Puddnhead Wilson
"I--I'm 'fraid he's--he's running away!" gasped Dorothy.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
'fraid there's no chance for uz' - (facetiously jogging me with his elbow, as well as his companion) - 'ha, ha, ha!
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
"I'm 'fraid not, Mas'r," said Tom, with a grave face.
"O, my dear young Mas'r; I'm 'fraid it will be loss of all--all--body and soul.
Uncle Toms Cabin
"I'm 'fraid, Shaggy Man," she said, with a sigh, "that we're lost!"
The Road to Oz
I 'uz off too fur to hear what dey say to you -- I wuz 'fraid o' de dogs; but when it 'uz all quiet agin I knowed you's in de house, so I struck out for de woods to wait for day.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mine doest I was so 'fraid I'd miss the stage I couldn't eat any breakfast."
Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm
Amanda fraid Moreover, she's not afraid of her sexuality.
I went from giving life to having my own hang in the balance; Casualty's Amanda Mealing talks to GABRIELLE FAGAN about her 'feel the fear and do it anyway' attitude, managing anxiety and her TV alter-ego, Connie Beauchamp
'Fraid Ser Brienne of Tarth won't last the series either, as she already got her wish to be knighted, and is likely to go down swinging in battle, maybe in sacrificial rear-guard defense of Sansa.
Who will survive 'GOT'?
The five-year old who shouted "fraid a nothing" (Baker 5) was shouting in the dark, voicing a wish to be fulfilled.
What Dr. Adams and Dr. Hemingway May Tell Us about Ernest
Chawan lives with her husband Fraid Rahim and their two children, but the flat is riddled with damp, lining the walls of the bathroom, hidden behind sofas, and getting on clothes.
Residents say their flat block is blighted by damp and drug users
On Connor: Bugatchi sailboat-print shirt and Johnnie-O "Derby" shorts, Island Pursuit; Sanuk "Fraid Not" sandals, Flip Flop Shop.
A Chic Cirle Vibe
''Fraid so.' Sidney's voice lost some of its buoyancy.
Dolly's doodles; As she perused the romance section at the library, Dolly Smith was in for a pleasant surprise