Oxford Basic American Dictionary

What happened between us is my affair. I don't want to talk about it.

[ count ] a sexual relationship between two people, usually one that is secret

Her husband was having an affair .

to make something or someone change in a particular way,

especially a bad way

Smoking can affect your health.

His parents' divorce affected the child deeply.

af • fec • tion / s'fekjn / noun [count, noncount]

a feeling of loving or liking someone She has great affection for her aunt.

af • fec • tion • ate / s'fekjsnst / adjective

showing that you love or like someone very much a very affectionate child

af • fec • tion • ate • ly / s ' fekjsnstli / adverb He smiled affectionately at his son.

af .ford Ф/ o'ford / verb

( af . fords, af . ford . ing, af . ford . ed )

to have enough money to buy or do something I can't afford a vacation this year. We couldn't afford a car in those days.

af • ford • a • ble / s ' fordsbl / adjective

good food at affordable prices

a fraid О / s freid / adjective

If you are afraid of something, it makes you feel fear Some people are afraid of snakes. I was afraid to open the door. I'm afraid ...

a polite way of saying that you are sorry I'm afraid I broke your calculator. I'm afraid that I can't come to your party. Thesaurus

afraid feeling fear; worried that something bad might happen. This word cannot come before a noun, so you can say "the man is afraid" but NOT "an afraid man": Are you afraid of spiders? ♦ Alex is afraid of going out after dark. ♦ We were afraid to go into the cave. ♦ He's afraid that he'll fall.

scared a more informal word than afraid , which is

used more in spoken than written English: I'm really

scared of heights. ♦ Everyone was too scared to move.

♦ The thieves got scared and ran away. ♦ Are you

scared about the exam tomorrow?

frightened a more formal word than afraid , which is

used more in written than spoken English: a frightened

child ♦ She is not frightened of anything. ♦ He was

frightened that the glass would break.

terrified very afraid: to be terrified of spiders ♦ He

was terrified that he would fall. ♦ You look terrified!

Af • ri • can A • mer • i • can

/ |®friksn s 'meriksn / noun [ count ] an American whose family came from Africa ►Af • ri • can-A • mer • i • can adjective

an African-American actor af .ter 1Ф / 'aeftor / preposition

later than someone or something Jenny arrived after dinner.

After doing my homework, I went out.

behind or following someone or something Ten comes after nine.

Russell finished after Evans in the race.

(used when telling the time) later than We left at a quarter after seven (= 7:15 ) .

trying to get or catch someone or something The police officer ran after her.

after all

1 used when you thought something different would happen

was worried about the test, but it wasn't difficult after all.

used to mean "do not forget"

She doesn't understand. After all, she's only two. be after something

to be trying to get or find something What kind of work are you after?

af • ter 2 w / aeftor / conjunction, adverb

at a time later than someone or something

We arrived after the movie had started.

Ava left at ten o'clock and I left soon after.