trepidation

[ trep-i-dey-shuhn ]
See synonyms for trepidation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.

  2. Archaic. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.

Origin of trepidation

1
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin trepidātiōn- (stem of trepidātiō ), equivalent to trepidāt(us) (past participle of trepidāre “to hurry, panic, alarm” + -iōn- noun suffix; see trepid, -ate1, -ion

Other words for trepidation

Other words from trepidation

  • trep·i·da·tious, adjective
  • trep·i·da·tious·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use trepidation in a sentence

  • Yet despite his own trepidations, the intelligence community is “heading down the path of more transparency.”

  • There were clamours, strange trepidations, and then that majestic roar which the mariners call the "Ocean cry."

    Toilers of the Sea | Victor Hugo
  • The trepidations of my mother kept pace with those of her husband; but she was intimidated into silence.

    Wieland; or The Transformation | Charles Brockden Brown
  • I looked with a sort of bravado into the dark, shadowed distances of the fane, and smiled at my nameless trepidations.

    The Ghost | Arnold Bennett
  • The refined warmth of Bartley's welcome seemed to make Kinney feel at home, in spite of his trepidations at Marcia's presence.

    A Modern Instance | William Dean Howells
  • If my heart faltered, it must not be supposed that my trepidations arose from any selfish considerations.

    Arthur Mervyn | Charles Brockden Brown

British Dictionary definitions for trepidation

trepidation

/ (ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən) /


noun
  1. a state of fear or anxiety

  2. a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety

Origin of trepidation

1
C17: from Latin trepidātiō, from trepidāre to be in a state of alarm; compare intrepid

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012