apprehension
noun/ˌæprɪˈhenʃn/
/ˌæprɪˈhenʃn/
- [uncountable, countable] worry or fear that something unpleasant may happen synonym anxiety
- There is growing apprehension that fighting will begin again.
- He watched the election results with some apprehension.
- There is apprehension about the safety of the missing children.
- They shivered with apprehension.
- She spoke about her childhood fears and apprehensions.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsc2- Marisa seemed to sense my growing apprehension.
- She felt some apprehension at the thought of moving overseas.
- The change in the law has caused apprehension among many people.
- There is great apprehension for the future.
- There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.
- They were filled with apprehension as they approached the building.
- her apprehension about being in hospital
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- considerable
- great
- growing
- …
- be filled with
- be full of
- feel
- …
- with apprehension
- apprehension about
- apprehension over
- …
- a feeling of apprehension
- a sense of apprehension
- a look of apprehension
- …
Definitions on the go
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- [uncountable] (formal) the act of capturing or arresting somebody, usually by the police
- the apprehension of the terrorists in the early hours of this morning
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘learning, acquisition of knowledge’): from late Latin apprehensio(n-), from apprehendere ‘seize, grasp’, from ad- ‘towards’ + prehendere ‘lay hold of’.
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apprehension