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
Noun
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The construction plans have generally raised fears that the London complex could serve as a Beijing intelligence hub.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026 -
Several Venezuela residents told TIME that the fear of what might be discovered on their phone at a checkpoint has guided their behavior in the days since Maduro's ouster.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There’s a sense of foreboding and dread.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
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Of course, the dread is always worse.—
Nell Frizzell,
Vogue,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Grimsson pointed out that concerns about Russia or China's growing influence in the Arctic were overblown.—
Anniek Bao,Dan Murphy,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
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With the protests in Iran growing by the day, the conversations in our chats changed to signs of hope even amid grave concerns about our family's safety.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Somehow, this new sensation emitted an awareness of the magnitude in which skateboarding would warp my life, which only ratcheted up the anxiety of blowing it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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The news this week that an ICE agent had shot and killed a woman in Minnesota heightened his anxiety.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has created worries about the Fed's independence, and whether it might be politically influenced.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
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First Amendment, press advocacy groups concerned by search The search warrant is raising First Amendment worries from press freedom advocates.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a career that could jump from airport reggae-pop to New Wave to turn-of-the-’90s new jack swing without notice, the move seems rooted in the same apprehension to get too far beyond the public’s ideal version of the artist that drove the return to form of Lady Gaga’s Mayhem.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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Worrying about finding a bathroom, coping with abdominal pain, and apprehension about symptoms starting or coming back all cause stress.—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But a sense of unease overshadows it.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
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Today the sprawling complex is a museum and visitor attraction, where a sense of unease lurks along paved tourist trails and lingers in dark corridors.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Polk said the astronaut is stable but that diagnostic uncertainty in microgravity prompted NASA to err on the side of bringing the crew member back to Earth.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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But in the second season of the series, which wrapped last Sunday, a new sense of uncertainty, reflection, and maturity grips the central characters, making for even better television.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Apprehensiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehensiveness. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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