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
Noun
-
Her work plainly belongs to this lineage of witchy writers, women whose deliciously corrupted scenes of home and hearth produce fear and wild laughter at once.—
Kristen Roupenian,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026 -
This new strategy recognized that neighborhood fear is not just driven by crimes; it is also driven by neighborhood disorder.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His dread turned to panic when Hochheiser, 79, was unloaded at Villa Rosa III, a 48-bed assisted living home with peeling paint, burglar bars, barren planters and a history of poor care.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
All have lost permission to work legally, a right most had while pursuing their asylum claims, compounding the worry and dread that has rippled through immigrant communities.—
Molly A. Wallace,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even before the Iran war sent gas prices soaring, many Americans were still recovering from the pandemic-era inflation spike and continued to cite affordability as a major concern.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Another Antarctic species -- the Southern elephant seal -- is also now at risk of extinction due to bird flu, moving from least concern to vulnerable, according to researchers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amid record anxiety about the future of work—and growing warnings about the potential erosion of white-collar careers—one unlikely field may be getting the last laugh.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Drone use is heavily limited by battery anxiety, but without a battery the use cases really open up.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 05,
New Atlas,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At a recent seven-hour legislative meeting, Nevadans complained to lawmakers about the noise data centers produce, and their worries about how the centers will affect water supply and energy bills.—
Jessica Hill,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Memories of the pandemic and worries about crime were still fresh, and the 120,000-square-foot building was vacant.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Power teaches people what to fear, how to name danger, and where to direct their apprehension.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
-
City officials and water managers across the state are watching with apprehension.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That feeling can present in many ways — rumination, a knot in your throat or your chest, an unease in your stomach, the tensing of muscles.—
Goth Shakira
Contributing,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
John Maynard Keynes famously predicted in the 1930s that by 2030, a 15-hour work week would be possible—and then asked, with obvious unease, what people would do with all that free time.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Market participants seem to be staying on the sidelines amid the uncertainty.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The billions of dollars that Haitians send home, the IMF said, have helped the government’s Central Bank reserves, while offsetting the high fuel prices despite the uncertainty surrounding the potential termination of Haitians’ Temporary Protected Status in the United States.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
