apprehensiveness

noun

Definition of apprehensivenessnext
1
as in fear
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble her apprehensiveness about starting college is keeping her awake at night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune my apprehensiveness about raw fish disagreeing with me is keeping me from even trying sushi

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apprehensiveness
  1. fear
  2. dread
  3. concern
  4. anxiety
  5. worry
  6. unease
  7. uncertainty
  8. apprehension
Noun
  • That leaves Syria’s minority groups like Alawites, Shia Muslims, Ismailis, Druze, Kurds and Christians in fear of being targeted.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Advertising from telehealth companies, along with data showing that a sizable portion of men who get testosterone don’t even get their levels checked beforehand, lends credence to their fears.
    Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of fear
Noun
  • In a year of exuberance and dread, songs came from every which way to comfort, to amuse, to haunt, to tantalize.
    August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
  • In addition, Head owns leading binding brand Tyrolia, and the Protector bindings are a major safety innovation and big deal in the marketplace, designed to help prevent knee injuries, a dread of skiers everywhere.
    Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical concerns, and do not ignore professional advice based on information from MediKarma.
    Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
  • President Joe Biden signed it into law in April, after years of some lawmakers questioning if ByteDance is a national security concern due to its ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
    Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of concern
Noun
  • On one side, parents share haunting stories of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders and blame ...
    Edward Longe, National Review, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Levels of stress, anxiety and depression are already alarmingly high among U.S. adults.
    Sujay Saha, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • Pentagon officials tried and failed to block the deal at the time, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, which cited worries that AMD had transferred crucial know-how that could aid China’s military and domestic semiconductor ambitions.
    Billy Perrigo, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
  • In fact, our primary worry on this front is less about workers staying in their roles longer and more about declining immigration, which has been a source of economic strength in recent years.
    Jeffrey Schulze, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of worry
Noun
  • Sitting with the images can bring on a creeping sense of unease.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Resident James Edwards of Succasunna expressed unease, urging calm amid speculation.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of unease
Noun
  • But this slow and steady approach also stifles risk-taking as leaders hesitate to take big leaps, fearing failure or uncertainty.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The Republic's Debra Krol talked to tribal reps and state water officials and found a lot of uncertainty about whether the deal would make it through in time for President Joe Biden to sign it.
    Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of uncertainty
Noun
  • Similar apprehensions were evident in 2006 when CVC Capital Partners faced regulatory demands to divest from MotoGP during its acquisition of Formula 1.
    Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The legislation advanced out of the House despite opposition from liberal Democrats, and some apprehension from Republicans, who took issue with a number of culture-war amendments that made it into the traditionally bipartisan bill.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of apprehension
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near apprehensiveness

apprehensively

apprehensiveness

apprentice

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...