apprehensive
Say it: ap-rih-HEN-siv /ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪv/ · adjective
What “apprehensive” means
Worried that something bad might happen.
More precisely: Anxious or fearful that something bad will happen.
Example: “I was apprehensive about the surgery, but the nurses were brilliant.”
When to use it
Use it before an uncertain event when you fear a bad outcome. It sounds slightly more formal than nervous.
Similar words
anxious, uneasy, nervous
Where it comes from
From Latin apprehendere, "to seize, grasp."
Quick check
Before your first driving lesson, you keep imagining mistakes you might make on the road. How do you feel?
apprehensive or dejected?
Show the answer
apprehensive
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