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

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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
  • As families wait for news about their relatives, damaged roads, power outages and fears of further flooding have hampered rescue efforts.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The announcement is spurring fears of a fresh wave of Canadian travelers steering clear of the US.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • Sometime after midnight, Hood felt a sense of dread that didn’t let up until the early morning hours.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Both movies share more than a few qualities, notably the same love of infinite interzones and the same flavor of exponentially increasing existential dread.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • Other areas of concern are the library system's self-check-out kiosks, instances in which minor teenagers handle materials while working or volunteering at a branch, and platforms for loaning electronic materials, Adams said.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Clever and snappy, fresh and silly, a winning combination of classic Looney Tunes gags and contemporary concerns (the press notes mention many influences including, no joke, The Insider).
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • Common side effects include dizziness, fast heart rate, high blood pressure, anxiety, headache, insomnia and loss of appetite.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Analysts observe that market anxiety surrounding mega-cap tech companies has escalated markedly in recent weeks.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • Solar attracted the most investment among renewable energy subsectors during the first six months of the year as countries rush to build capacity as worries grow that global wars will continue squeezing energy supplies.
    — Eugenia Perozo, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Research shows, however, that the public is always a little bit concerned about corruption, and that these worries often do not correspond with particular actions by politicians.
    — Robert Boatright, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • His mother, Rachel Moser, 56, was charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, obstruction, abuse of a corpse and conspiracy.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Moser's mother, Rachel Moser, was charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, tampering with evidence, and related charges.
    — Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of apprehension
Noun
  • But there’s more than gags here; the episode also delves into the gang’s unease with their changing lives, as well as the reservations everyone but Ted seems to have about his engagement to Stella (Sarah Chalke).
    — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But Susser said the unease might also reflect that society hasn’t quite established clear norms around AI use.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • In addition to hurting consumers, Bird asserts that the uncertainty, along with Paramount’s $7 million ticking fee, will pull down an industry that’s just starting to get back on its feet.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Businesses and consumers are caught in the middle, facing uncertainty about how much prices may increase.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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