trepid

adjective

trep·​id ˈtre-pəd 

: timorous, fearful

Did you know?

Don't be afraid to use trepid. After all, it has been in the English language for more than 350 years—longer, by 30 years, than its antonym intrepid. Trepid (from Latin trepidus, meaning "alarmed" or "agitated") isn't used as much as intrepid, but it can be a good word at times. Writer Bill Kaufman, for example, found a use for it in a Newsday article, in which an aquarium volunteer is "asked if she is perhaps a little trepid about swimming with sharks in a 12-foot deep, 120,000 gallon tank." (Her fearless reply: "Not really.") The more intrepid among you might even consider using trepidate for "to tremble with fear" and trepidant, meaning "timid" or "trembling." These are uncommon words, granted, but they haven't breathed their last.

Word History

Etymology

Latin trepidus

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above

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