Apprehensive

//ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnsɪv// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A mood indicating an undesired outcome. uncountable

    "In 16.66 the non-visual apprehensive is used with the third-person."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Anticipating something with anxiety, fear, or doubt; reluctant.

    "This convinc'd me that there was no going on Shore for us in the Night upon that Coaſt, and how to venture on Shore in the Day was another Queſtion too; for to have fallen into the Hands of any of the Savages, had been as bad as to have fallen into the Hands of Lyons and Tygers; at leaſt we were equally apprehenſive of the Danger of it."

  2. 2
    Perceptive; quick to learn; capable of understanding using one's intellect. obsolete

    "More fond of Miracles, than apprehensive of Truth."

Adjective
  1. 1
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm wordnet
  2. 2
    mentally upset over possible misfortune or danger etc wordnet
  3. 3
    quick to understand wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
afraidperceptiveagitatedaliveall nervesall-knowing

Example

More examples

"I am apprehensive of the outcome."

Etymology

From Latin apprehensīvus, from apprehensus, perfect passive participle of apprehendō (“to apprehend, understand, learn”) + -īvus (“-ive”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.