trepidation
Americannoun
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tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.
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Archaic. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.
noun
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a state of fear or anxiety
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a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety
Other Word Forms
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; see trepid, -ate 1, -ion
Explanation
When plain old "fear" isn't enough to get across a deep feeling of dread about something on the horizon, use the more formal word trepidation. "It was with a certain trepidation that I attended an advance screening of Rob Zombie's Halloween in Hollywood last night," wrote a film reviewer. Some dictionaries note that trepidation carries connotations of apprehension about an upcoming threat. In most cases, though, you can get by with the simpler word fear — why use three syllables when you could make do with one? The word comes from the Latin verb trepidare, "to tremble."
Vocabulary lists containing trepidation
The Crucible
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Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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The Maze Runner
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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.
So it's with a little trepidation that we greet him a couple of hours later.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
Gadd comes off as thoughtful and emphatic, while Ruben, his physically imposing character, commands trepidation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
With great trepidation, I began to search for French news articles about the death of Quentin Deranque.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
With major trepidation, I opened it to find a 1099-INT for approximately $155 in interest I was paid.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
We had to push past trepidation and believe that by sending her off we were doing the right thing.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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.
