apprehensiveness

noun

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

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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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for apprehensiveness
  1. fear
  2. dread
  3. concern
  4. anxiety
  5. worry
  6. apprehension
  7. unease
  8. uncertainty
Noun
  • Does the time feel right to release old fears and remodel your mental reality?
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • The stalemate has raised fears of an endless war, something Trump campaigned on avoiding, as tit-for-tat attacks continue along an escalating spiral.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 July 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • Cameron doesn't waste a second of that time, however, establishing characters (see above), introducing Newt, showing off the geography of the Hadley's Hope terraforming base, and building a creeping sense of dread.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • Perfectly dark tone, a sinister mystery and a looming sense of total dread.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Local officials primarily blame budget concerns, along with political inertia, for the ongoing stalemate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • Soon afterward, however, child welfare authorities removed the children from her home after concerns about their living situation.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • His instinctive reaction, tearful after losing another final, was to throw in the towel, to announce his career with Argentina was over at the age of 29, to focus on his club career, which by comparison brought him so much joy and so little anxiety.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Because of their history of poor sleep, people with insomnia may suffer from anxiety about getting inadequate sleep, which can then increase sleeplessness at night.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 18, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • After two years living in an RV at San Jose’s Columbus Park, Fernando Vilchis Alcantara eagerly accepted a spot at a motel the city converted into a homeless shelter, relieved to be free of the constant worry of being ticketed or towed.
    — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
  • They’re not allowed to print money, so our worries shift from the asset class itself to the specifics of the issuer.
    — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • Americans’ apprehension about artificial intelligence isn’t stopping them from using it at work.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 21 July 2026
  • Gulf states are looking on with growing apprehension as the conflict between Iran and the US escalates again.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of apprehension
Noun
  • The Leeds quartet built a reputation on sardonic observations about modern life, packaging political unease inside wiry post-punk.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
  • This, combined with the sheer horror of many of the crimes committed against the Bowdens, generates a tension in the viewer that makes the unease a young Antosca felt watching the 1962 film feel tame by comparison.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • As housing costs rise, residency policies change, remote work matures, and global uncertainty reshapes long-term planning, prospective expats are looking beyond yesterday's relocation favorites.
    — Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Some state officials criticized the move as adding unneeded instability and uncertainty to running elections.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 21 July 2026
Definition of uncertainty
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.

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apprehensively
apprehensiveness
apprentice
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Cite this Entry

“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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