Definition of TREPIDATION

Choose the Right Synonym for trepidation

fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger. fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage. fear of the unknown dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety. faced the meeting with dread fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear. fright at being awakened suddenly alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger. view the situation with alarm panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity. the news caused widespread panic terror implies the most extreme degree of fear. immobilized with terror trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation. raised the subject with trepidation

Examples of trepidation in a Sentence

In the first minutes, hours, or even days of fieldwork most researchers feel trepidation about being an outsider, a stranger on the scene … — Marie D. Price, Geographical Review, January-April 2001 This was an ambitious project, and a number of us felt some trepidation about the possible results. — Brian Phillips, New Republic, 13 Dec. 1999 I came aboard the 319 with trepidation, to join the lives of utter strangers, a man untried by the circumstances they had known. — Henry G. Bugbee, Jr., "Naval History," in Authors at Sea, Robert Shenk, ed., 1997 He had some trepidation about agreeing to their proposal. shaking with trepidation, I stepped into the old abandoned house

Recent Examples on the Web

Others are elaborately staged, as in the photo from 2011—a time of many transitions in their lives, Wang told me—where the two appear to be flying through a cartoonish rainstorm, looking ahead with trepidation and holding each other for safety. — Andrea Denhoed, The New Yorker, "A Photographer’s Vision of Being a Mother and an Artist, Year After Year," 5 June 2019 Just look at the trepidation with which the dog above is observing this flying piece of metal and plastic above him. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Should You Use a Drone to Walk Your Dog?," 29 Mar. 2019 Records from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, which conducts child protective investigations in the county, provide more details about the guardian's trepidation. — Fox News, "Details of Florida boy's short, troubled life emerge," 7 Sep. 2018 Inside the White House, officials were watching the hearing with some trepidation, aware of the stakes. — Natalie Andrews, WSJ, "Stark Divide, Raw Emotion in Kavanaugh-Ford Hearing," 27 Sep. 2018 There is no denying that there is a potent mix of excitement and trepidation at the thought of traveling abroad with a toddler. — Kerry Pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, "Trans-Atlantic Travel is Better Than Ever with a Bebé," 28 Aug. 2018 There’s been trepidation about utilities owning EV chargers, questions about whether such investments serve all ratepayers and whether charging is better left to markets. — David Roberts, Vox, "Trump might like dirty cars, but electric vehicles are coming anyway," 26 June 2018 Passengers on board the plane filmed and posted snapshots of the dilapidated engine to social media, broadcasting their trepidation for all the world to see. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "8 Emergency Landings That Rival the 'Miracle on the Hudson'," 15 Jan. 2019 Newsletter Sign-up In part, the bets reflect trepidation about the longevity of the economic expansion, which earlier this year became the second-longest in U.S. history. — Corrie Driebusch, WSJ, "Strong Earnings Haven’t Cured the Stock Market’s Blues," 28 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trepidation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.