afford
gb/əfˈɔɹd/ us/əfˈɔɹd/
A2
English
~ 1800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
state
1
Have enough money to buy
To have enough money to buy something.
Usage pattern:
to afford [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'afford' with 'buy'. 'Afford' means you have enough money, not that you actually purchase it.
Synonyms
pay for (Directly refers to meeting the cost of something; less about ability and more about action.)
Antonyms
cannot afford (Indicates lacking the money needed for something.)
Collocations
can afford
|afford to buy
|afford the cost
|barely afford
|afford a house
Themes
money
|daily life
|shopping
|daily_life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We can't afford a new car right now.
- She could finally afford her dream vacation.
- Many students cannot afford the high rent in the city.
- They can easily afford the best seats in the theater.
Learner examples
- I can afford this book.
- We cannot afford a new phone.
- She can afford a nice dress.
- They can afford a big house.
Verb
B1
state
2
Have enough time or resources
To have enough time or things you need to do something.
Usage pattern:
to afford [to do something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'afford' always means about money; it can also mean time or resources.
Synonyms
spare (Emphasizes having extra time or resources available.)
Antonyms
lack (Indicates not having enough of what is needed.)
Collocations
afford the time
|afford to wait
|afford a break
|afford attention
Themes
time
|planning
|daily life
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I can't afford to waste any more time on this project.
- He couldn't afford to take another day off work.
- We can afford to spend an hour discussing this.
Learner examples
- I cannot afford to wait.
- We can afford to spend one hour.
- She cannot afford to stop now.
Verb
formal
B2
action
3
Provide or give something needed
To give or offer something useful or wanted.
Usage pattern:
to afford [someone] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'offer' in casual speech; 'afford' in this sense is more formal and often about conditions or features providing benefits.
Synonyms
grant (Often used in formal contexts for giving rights or opportunities.)
Antonyms
deny (To refuse to give something that is desired or needed.)
Collocations
afford protection
|afford an opportunity
|afford access
Themes
formal writing
|benefits
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The hotel room affords a beautiful view of the mountains.
- This law affords greater protection to consumers.
- The new program will afford students more learning opportunities.
Learner examples
- This place affords a good view.
- The job affords me time with my family.
- The park affords shade on hot days.
Grammar
Dictionary form
afford
IPA
GB/əfˈɔɹd/
US/əfˈɔɹd/
Syllables & stress
af - ford (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ford)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: afford
- 3rd Person Singular: affords
- Present Participle: affording
- Past: afforded
Word family
Forms
affords
verb
affording
verb
afforded
verb
Core family
affordable
adjective A2
Related words
affordability
noun B2
affordably
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unaffordable
adjective
Expressions
afford (someone) the opportunity
1/əfˈɔɹd sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə ˌɑpɚtˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
formal
Give someone a chance to do something
To give someone a chance to do something.
Examples
- The internship afforded me the opportunity to learn from experts.
- This course will afford students the opportunity to improve their skills.
can’t afford to lose
1/kˈænt əfˈɔɹd tə lˈuz/
fixed phrase
Cannot risk losing something important
Used when something is too important to risk losing it.
Examples
- We can't afford to lose this game if we want to make the finals.
- You can’t afford to lose your focus during the exam.
can’t afford to miss
1/kˈænt əfˈɔɹd tə mˈɪs/
fixed phrase
Cannot risk missing something important
Used when something is so good or important that you must not miss it.
Examples
- This is a concert you can't afford to miss.
- You can’t afford to miss this opportunity for a promotion.