1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

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

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
  • Experts say cartels use car bombs to intimidate rivals and authorities, pressure the government and spread fear among civilians.
    — María Verza, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • At each turn, a heartbreaking picture comes into sharper focus, underscoring Ricki’s destructive appetite that exploits Rita’s deepest needs and fears under the guise of friendship and no-judgement sisterhood.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • The mood would be a mix of confidence, desperation and nagging dread.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, Sega and Creative Assembly have bet on pure atmosphere, dread that runs deeper thanks to more detailed graphics and audio, and of course, letting everyone know the Xenomorph's dynamic AI has evolved too.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Plan for the content of the meeting, including the objections, concerns and reservations people may bring.
    — Inga Bielińska, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Sure, Mahomes did enough Monday night to dispel any concerns about a drop-off in his game.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • Off-camera, though, Hansen’s self-loathing and anxiety are off the charts.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Since the assault, the woman has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • For Villa, there were mitigating circumstances in this latest defeat by Glasner, yet the worry is they are still being caught with the same punches.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Similar economic stressors like finding a new job if they get laid off, employer reductions of healthcare or retirement benefits, or simply not advancing in their career at pace significantly outrank worries about the impact of AI.
    — Stacey Zolt Hara, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • Police also said Myisha Donaldson, 47, was arrested and charged with one count of obstruction of apprehension or prosecution in relation to the shooting.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Not having been to the dinner before, the couple was filled with a mix of excitement tinged with apprehension.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of apprehension
Noun
  • Her government was also the first led by a party with neo-fascist roots, and European allies and financial markets viewed her with unease.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The rise in bond yields is a global phenomenon, rooted in investors’ unease over unchecked government spending and intensified by bets that central banks may keep interest rates higher for longer.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • Now, however, the escalating trade disputes between the two nations are not only challenging this close partnership, but also creating growing uncertainty for American farmers and agricultural equipment manufacturers.
    — , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Together, the flurry of legal filings has thrust the state, its voters and election officials into a period of uncertainty ahead of the November election.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 8 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.

Browse Nearby Words

apprehensively
apprehensiveness
apprentice
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aggrandize

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All