Difference between Afraid and Frightens

AFRAID vs FRIGHTENS: NOUN

Filled with fear or apprehension
Regretful, sorry
Filled with regret or concern. Used especially to soften an unpleasant statement.
Filled with fear; frightened.
Feeling worry or concern or insecurity
Filled with regret or concern; used often to soften an unpleasant statement
Having feelings of aversion or unwillingness

Filled with regret or concern
Synonyms Afraid, Frightened, Terrified, timid, shy, apprehensive, troubled, suspicious, distrustful. Afraid expresses a less degree of fear than frightened or terrified, which describe outward states. In colloquial language, I am afraid is often nearly equivalent to I suspect, I am inclined to think, or the like, and is regularly used as a kind of polite introduction to a correction, objection, etc., or to make a statement sound less positive: as, I am afraid you are wrong; I am afraid that argument won't hold.
Impressed with fear or apprehension; fearful: followed by of before the object of fear, where that is not an infinitive: as, to be afraid of death; I am afraid to go.

Horrified, Appalled, Shocked, Panicked, Disinclined, Cowed, Alarmed, Concerned, Apprehensive, Intimidated, Petrified, Terrified, Frightened, Fearful, Scared

Annoys, Enrages, Irritates, Fascinates, Bothers, Unnerves, Disturbs, Infuriates, Afraid, Intimidates, Scares, Terrifies, Affright, Fright, Scare

Horrified, Appalled, Shocked, Panicked, Disinclined, Cowed, Alarmed, Concerned, Apprehensive, Intimidated, Petrified, Terrified, Frightened, Fearful, Scared

Hurts, Befuddles, Appals, Amazes, Startles, Astonishes, Mystifies, Excites, Dismays, Annoys, Bothers, Afraid, Affright, Fright, Scare

It might have been when you were afraid of commitment, or even when you were afraid of being vulnerable.
He describes being Queer and growing up afraid of being outed, afraid of being close to other Queer teens.
The ghost or the zombie never frightened us who were not afraid, but they will run after them who were too afraid.
Milla is afraid of her: has always been afraid of her.
Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.
Once again she admitted to herself that she was afraid, horribly afraid, of the beautiful woman with the cruel eyes.
Communism is everywhere and when you try to see it, you might start to get afraid, very afraid.
Be afraid, America, be very afraid not so much of ISIS, but of the Emory college students.
No one who hates but is afraid of love, and therefore must he be afraid of God.
So the Nome was afraid of himself and afraid of everything around him.

It lives in the swamp and frightens people at night.
The very shadow of evil across their path frightens them.
Walking off trail causes erosion, tramples plants and frightens wildlife.
He frightens them by putting spiders in their beds.
Gaven incubate her centaur plaintively, she frightens it absorbedly.
What is it about the dark that frightens you?
This frightens the animal, causing Lim to dive.
Go to the thing which frightens you most.
This frightens Sheldon, causing him to scream too.
It frightens them in France, it frightens them in England, and it frightens them in the United States.