trepidation
Americannoun
-
tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.
-
Archaic. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.
noun
-
a state of fear or anxiety
-
a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety
Other Word Forms
- trepidatious adjective
- trepidatiously adverb
Etymology
Origin of trepidation
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; trepid, -ate 1, -ion
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.
With great trepidation, I began to search for French news articles about the death of Quentin Deranque.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
The war in Iran, coupled with trepidation among Canadian business owners about the future of trade relations with the U.S., means that “uncertainty is acute,” Macklem added.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Despite my cat trepidation, I saw him again, just to make sure my first-date magic wasn’t a fluke.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
Donnelly described feeling "a certain amount of trepidation" about getting back in the car.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
He blanched with trepidation when he guessed what was troubling Yossarian.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
