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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
  • Retaliation is not unheard of in higher education and fear of scheming colleagues is common.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That’s a major shift from earlier this year, when fears of AI disruption, concerns about Copilot, and heavy data center spending weighed on the stock.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • The look back shows the familiar societal cycle around powerful technology, spanning excitement, anxiety, and dread.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The spikes suffuse the air with a hard to describe but palpable dread.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • The privacy problem The bigger concern surrounding this tech, however, is privacy.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The new political leadership will also face pressure to address everyday concerns, including jobs, wages and the cost of living.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • There were also savings for people with diabetes, depression, and anxiety.
    — Priyanka D McCluskey, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • All this against the backdrop of near-daily drone incursions into European airspace, fueling anxiety in eastern border towns.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • Yields have been on the rise because of worries about inflation, big debt loads for governments worldwide and other factors.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This is meant to address worries that frequent fast charging might shorten battery life.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • That apprehension was reflected in the mood of voters in Moscow on a cold, crisp September day a week before the elections.
    — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Licata in particular prepared for apprehension from the moment TEA Commissioner Mike Morath appointed him as the district’s leader.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of apprehension
Noun
  • The survey quantifies the sense of unease and frustration many customers of these new-wave insurers feel.
    — Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is another thing that’s clearly added to the unease within the industry.
    — Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of unease
Noun
  • Let someone encounter the version that still contains a little uncertainty.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Economic uncertainty and other factors have kept borrowing costs elevated for much of the year, according to real estate experts.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 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.

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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 28 Sep. 2026.

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