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apprehensive definition

ap·pre·hen·sive (-hen′siv)

adjective

  1. able or quick to apprehend or understand
  2. having to do with perceiving or understanding
  3. anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy

Etymology: ME < ML apprehensivus < pp. of L apprehendere, apprehend

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

apprehensive Synonyms

apprehensive

modif.

fearful, worried, anxious, uncertain; see afraid 1, troubled 1, uneasy 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

apprehensive Usage Examples

Preposition: about

  • future: The aim is to make the negotiator feel apprehensive about the future of a talk.

Preposition: at

  • prospect: Many students feel apprehensive at the prospect of the close intellectual scrutiny which the tutorial involves.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • feel: Q: Are you starting to feel a bit apprehensive?

Modifies a noun

  • patient: Even the most apprehensive patients tolerate the procedure quite well.

Modifying Another Word

  • understandably: So I was understandably apprehensive about going on a holiday where a second attempt at the seemingly impossible was likely to be unavoidable.

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: I was feeling rather apprehensive about the possible crowds.
apprehensive usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"apprehensive." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/apprehensive>

APA Style

apprehensive. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/apprehensive

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