apprehensive
ap-rih-HEN-siv
/ˌæp.rɪˈhɛn.sɪv/
Anxious or fearful that something unpleasant will happen.
Focuses on mental anticipation and unease regarding an upcoming event or result.
The story behind the word. Originally, 'prehendere' meant physically seizing or grabbing something. By the Late Latin period, 'apprehend' meant seizing an idea mentally. Over time, 'apprehensive' came to describe the state of mind when you 'grasp' that danger or trouble is lying ahead.
Word relationships
- anxious: Anxious can apply broadly to general restlessness, whereas apprehensive focuses specifically on fear of a future occurrence.
- nervous: Nervous often involves physical symptoms like sweaty palms, while apprehensive is primarily psychological foresight.
- confident: Confident implies feeling sure of success or safety.
- sanguine: Sanguine describes an cheerfully optimistic outlook on the future.
Commonly confused with
- comprehensive: Comprehensive means thorough or complete, coming from 'grasping all facts'.
Word family
- apprehend (verb): To arrest someone, or to mentally grasp an idea.
- apprehension (noun): Anxiety about the future, or the act of arresting someone.
Collocations
- feel apprehensive
- apprehensive about
- deeply apprehensive
Example sentences
- "Students are understandably apprehensive before taking their final qualifying examinations." General / Academic
- "The patient felt apprehensive about the outcome of the surgical procedure." Healthcare
Memory hook
When you are APPREHENSIVE, your mind is 'GRASPING' for worries about tomorrow. Grasping future troubles before they arrive.
When not to use
Do not use to describe immediate physical shock that is happening in the exact present moment.
Fun facts
- In Shakespeare's time, 'apprehensive' could actually mean quick-witted or clever because your mind seized concepts fast!
Related words
Explore more words
skittish, anticipate, apprehend, imminent, unforeseen, timid
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