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
  • Retaliation is not unheard of in higher education and fear of scheming colleagues is common.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That’s a major shift from earlier this year, when fears of AI disruption, concerns about Copilot, and heavy data center spending weighed on the stock.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • The line between dread and pleasure within the realm of the temporally-uncanny is a fine one.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Royals, who has typically sported some of the team’s most stylish hair, cut his dreads last week.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Businesses have previously voiced concern about the concentration of power in the two main payment providers.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Using public warnings to create concern among subscribers is an unnecessary pressure tactic.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • There were also savings for people with diabetes, depression, and anxiety.
    — Priyanka D McCluskey, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • All this against the backdrop of near-daily drone incursions into European airspace, fueling anxiety in eastern border towns.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • Thankfully, my worries turned out to be unfounded, because the talent show in this episode turns out to be her time to shine.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The agency faces a $9-billion loss, a looming cash crunch and election-year worries over late mail ballots; Steiner urged voters to send ballots a week early.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • But the recent drone attacks and the Polish government’s efforts to prepare the population for further serious incidents have brought a new sense of apprehension — and also confusion — among locals.
    — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • All 25 models showed signs of internal coding that were specific to personally painful situations and were distinct from other negative contexts, like frustration or apprehension.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of apprehension
Noun
  • The survey quantifies the sense of unease and frustration many customers of these new-wave insurers feel.
    — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is another thing that’s clearly added to the unease within the industry.
    — Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • That adds to the uncertainty about the future balance of the five-network pool.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Zak Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images Stock markets remain volatile as investors weigh uncertainty in the Middle East, rising interest rates and concerns about the artificial intelligence (AI) trade.
    — TipRanks Staff, CNBC, 27 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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