Talk about the feeling: fear
afraid
A2 [ after verb ] feeling fear, or feeling worry about the possible results of a particular situation:
He was/felt suddenly afraid.
I’ve always been afraid of flying/heights/spiders.
She was afraid for her children (= feared that they might be hurt).
[ + to infinitive ] Don’t be afraid to say what you think.
[ + (that) ] She was afraid (that) he might be upset if she told him.
fearful
C2 FORMAL frightened or worried about something:
He hesitated before calling her, fearful of what she might say.
She’s fearful (that) she may lose custody of her children.
petrified
B2 extremely frightened:
I stood petrified as the most enormous dog I’ve ever seen came bounding up to me.
She’s petrified of being on her own in the house at night.
frightened
B1 feeling fear or worry:
She gets frightened when he shouts at her.
Are you frightened of spiders?
I was frightened (that) you would fall.
Don’t be frightened to complain if the service is bad.
scared
B1 frightened or worried:
He’s scared of spiders.
I’m scared of telling her what really happened.
He’s scared to tell her what really happened.
I was scared (= very worried) (that) you might not be there.
I was scared stiff (= extremely frightened).
terrified
B1 very frightened:
I’m terrified of the dark.
She’s terrified (that) her mother might find out her secret.
intimidated
frightened or nervous because you are not confident in a situation:
Older people can feel very intimidated by computers.
be like a deer/rabbit caught in the headlights
to be so frightened or surprised that you cannot move or think:
Each time they asked him a question he was like a deer caught in the headlights.
in terror of your life
frightened that you will be killed
embarrassed
B1 feeling ashamed or shy:
She felt embarrassed about undressing in front of the doctor.
[ + to infinitive ] I was too embarrassed to admit that I was scared.
awkward
C2 embarrassed or nervous:
I always feel awkward when I’m with Chris – he’s so difficult to talk to.
He seemed a little awkward when I first met him.
be like a fish out of water
to feel awkward because you are in a situation that you have not experienced before or because you are very different from the people around you
shamefaced
awkward and embarrassed or ashamed:
He looked somewhat shamefaced when he realized his mistake.
nervous
B1 worried and anxious:
Do you feel/get nervous during exams?
I was too nervous to speak.
She’s always been nervous around dogs.
I was very nervous about driving again after the accident.
He had/was of a nervous disposition.
a bundle of nerves
INFORMAL
C2 someone who is extremely nervous and worried:
Sorry for shouting – I’m a bundle of nerves these days.
aflutter
HUMOROUS excited and nervous:
I’m all aflutter about meeting him after so long.
Paul had walked into the room and set my heart aflutter.
in a flutter
In a nervous, confused, or agitated state:
We were all in a flutter waiting to meet the President at our school rally.
be out of your element
to be unhappy and feel uncomfortable in a particular situation
She usually just orders takeout, so she’s really out of her element in the kitchen.
I know you’re out of your element in this new school, but you’ll make friends soon, and things will get better.
I asked Alex to consult on this project because I’m out of my element here.
shy
B1 nervous and uncomfortable with other people:
He was too shy to ask her to dance with him.
She gave a shy smile.
Children are often shy of/with people they don’t know.
The deer were shy (= unwilling to be near people) and hid behind some trees.
worried
A2 unhappy because you are thinking about problems or unpleasant things that might happen:
They don’t seem particularly worried about the situation.
You had me worried (= you made me feel anxious) back there – I thought for a second that you wouldn’t be able to stop in time.
He was worried sick (= extremely worried) when he heard that there had been an accident.
restless
C1 unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you are worried or bored:
bothered
B2 If you are bothered about something, it is important to you and you are worried about it:
He’s very bothered about what people think of him.
They were an hour late and she didn’t seem at all bothered.
The bright sunshine made him feel hot and bothered (= hot and uncomfortable).
anxious
B1 worried and nervous:
My mother always gets a bit anxious if we don’t arrive when we say we will.
The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest.
apprehensive
feeling worried about something that you are going to do or that is going to happen:
I’m very apprehensive about tomorrow’s meeting.
I’ve invited a lot of people to the party, but I’m a little apprehensive that no one will come.
distracted
nervous or confused because you are worried about something:
Tania seems very distracted at the moment – I think she’s worried about her brother.