trepidatious

adjective

trep·​i·​da·​tious ˌtre-pə-ˈdā-shəs 

variants or less commonly trepidacious

: feeling trepidation : apprehensive

Within a couple of minutes of coming "on stage" she had an immediate rapport with the studio audience, discussing with candor what sort of questions they might have, and had the whole session in hand and us trepidatious panelists at ease.

—Malcolm S. Forbes

trepidatiously adverb

Examples of trepidatious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This truth is at the heart of Adolescence, Netflix’s new drama by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham—an impeccable, if harrowing, exploration of the trepidatious transition of boyhood to manhood and the ultimate radicalization of a schoolboy. —Raven Smith, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025

But Reeves, looking a bit trepidatious, tried to thread the needle, introducing some academic caveats without coming across as a scold. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025

With the biggest performance of the year hanging in the balance, the trepidatious trio go in search of His Royal Yeah!-ness. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 8 Feb. 2024

Crater Lake Superintendent Craig Ackerman said he’s been feeling more trepidatious than excited for the eclipse, as the park tries to prepare for a surge of visitors at what is normally the end of its busy season. —Jamie Hale, oregonlive, 19 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trepidatious

• diatomaceous
• unostentatious
• arenaceous
• argillaceous
• carbonaceous
• contumacious
• coriaceous
• efficacious
• farinaceous
• foliaceous
• membranaceous
• ochraceous