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
Noun
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Those fears have eased somewhat in recent months as some Democratic candidates advance from the pack.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026 -
Your co-parent is managing treatment, uncertainty and the very real fear of how this will affect his relationship with his daughter.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
After three seasons of almost nothing but dread and sorrow, the NBA’s most woebegone franchise, for generations, finally had a moment to celebrate.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
After his teenage son goes missing, Daniel combs the depths of the Vistula River day and night, caught in a grueling, endless routine and torn between the dread of a fatal leap and the fragile hope that his son may still be alive.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Accessibility Rooms for those with mobility needs are in place, and the fitness club, pool, spa, and public bathrooms also address accessibility concerns.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
-
Since then, a growing number of cities have opted to further regulate e-bikes, citing a growing number of incidents and safety concerns.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
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But the following year, as the pandemic wore on and crime rates ticked up, the politics of criminal justice in the city shifted toward law-and-order anxiety, even as new waves of COVID infection struck the jails.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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War rumbles on Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
At the macro scale of society, loss of control seems like a legitimate reason for worry.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.—
Rachel Keidan,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Since 2023, apprehensions have dropped further, to fewer than two hundred per month this year.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Many reports that do arrive to the Honor Committee are now anonymous because of another technological development of longer standing—social media—which has reportedly deterred students from reporting openly out of apprehension of doxxing or shaming among their peer groups.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Meloni, weakened by a recent referendum defeat and facing public unease over the conflict, has insisted that any use of Italian bases for offensive operations would require parliamentary backing.—
Giada Zampano,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Brent was trading above $100 a barrel on Friday, while shipping and insurance markets continue signaling deep unease despite periodic ceasefire headlines.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The uncertainties that led to disquiet over nuclear power across the country in the 1970s and 1980s have not gone away but have changed as technology has evolved.—
Krisztian Elcsics,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Senate leadership was ousted just hours before Duterte’s impeachment trial moves to that chamber, creating political uncertainty and complications for the proceedings.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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