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Synonyms

trepidation

American  
[trep-i-dey-shuhn] / ˌtrɛp ɪˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.

    Synonyms:
    disquiet, apprehension, panic, alarm, fright, fear, dread, anxiety

  2. Archaic. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.

trepidation British  
/ ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən /

noun

  1. a state of fear or anxiety

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

"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

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

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

Looming in the background for Carney, though, are domestic political considerations, with trepidation from pockets of the country’s Indian diaspora.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Hence the trepidation in Munich before Rubio took the stage.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

She thought she’d be jumping up and down with excitement, but instead she felt trepidation.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

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.