apprehensive
Americanadjective
-
uneasy or fearful about something that might happen.
apprehensive for the safety of the mountain climbers.
-
quick to learn or understand.
-
perceptive; discerning (usually followed byof ).
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of apprehensive
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word apprehēnsīvus. See apprehensible, -ive
Explanation
If you're apprehensive, you're anxious or fearful. If you live near a busy intersection with no stop signs, you might be a bit apprehensive about crossing the street. Apprehensive is from a Latin word meaning "to seize," and it originally meant "quick to seize impressions or ideas, perceptive, intelligent." Now it means "anticipating something bad, fearful of what may happen." Synonyms are afraid, which suggest a more immediate fear, and fearful, which suggests a more general temperament ("a fearful child"). You can be apprehensive about a situation while being an optimistic and courageous person in general.
Vocabulary lists containing apprehensive
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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The Giver
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was apprehensive about any mental care–adjacent product that encourages more screen time.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
Fleet operators acknowledged that some drivers have been apprehensive to make the leap to zero-emission trucks because the technology is new and charging can be a challenge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
"Initially I was a little apprehensive but it was very smooth and much less heavy when chilled," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Where some early tracks conveyed carefree innocence—laughing children, music-box melodies—the mood here is often apprehensive and uneasy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
I cried, and then cast an apprehensive glance at a camp policeman nearby.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
