afraid not

(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
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

(I'm) afraid not.

 and 'Fraid not.
I believe, regrettably, that the answer is no. (The apostrophe is not always shown.) Rachel: Can I expect any help with this problem? Henry: I'm afraid not. Andrew: Will you be there when I get there? Bill: Afraid not.
See also: afraid, not
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • (I'm) (a)fraid not
  • afraid
  • fraid
  • civil
  • deserve
  • a civil question deserves a civil answer
  • (I'm) (a)fraid so
  • afraid so
  • a dusty answer
  • reply
References in classic literature
"I'm afraid not. I'd like to think cats have a chance for heaven, but I can't.
The Golden Road
"I'm afraid not. Warren has been very decent, though.
Pollyanna
I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales
He put his horse to a trot to avoid seeing all these suffering men, and he felt afraid- afraid not for his life, but for the courage he needed and which he knew would not stand the sight of these unfortunates.
War and Peace
'Well, my dear,' returned Mrs Boffin, giving her a squeeze, 'it's kind of you to find that reason out, and I hope it may have been so, and indeed to a certain extent I believe it was so, but I am afraid not to the whole extent.
Our Mutual Friend
There was no telling; the people were afraid not, and they were all trying to get it.
Jungle
And so O-Tar stood with his hand upon the door--afraid to enter; afraid not to.
The Chessmen of Mars
'No, I'm afraid not. The public doesn't know Pickering.
Uneasy Money
I was afraid not of his six foot, not of getting a sound thrashing and being thrown out of the window; I should have had physical courage enough, I assure you; but I had not the moral courage.
Notes from the Underground
I'm afraid not, for I didn't have any heart just then."
Little Women
He was afraid not even Miss Woodhouse"he stopt a moment "or Miss Smith could inspire him."
Emma
The national elections in 2008 and 2012 should have been a good lesson, but I'm afraid not many saw the writing on the wall.
Roll Your Own
But afraid not. Malaysia is not on crisis and the Avengers were not even the real actors themselves, just cosplayers.
Dr M rubs shoulders with Thanos, Iron Man and Captain America at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Practise say- ing "sadly not", "no, darling", "I'm afraid not".
5 timesavers for a healthier you
She asked Bale: "Would you ever come and play for Huddersfield?" The Wales international replied: "No, I'm afraid not. It's too cold up there."
Charlotte's new antics for TV ad