trepidation

trepidation

 
noun|trep-uh-DAY-shun
 
What It Means
 
Trepidation refers to a feeling of fear that causes someone to hesitate because they think that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen.
 
// The students felt a sense of trepidation upon being summoned to the principal's office.

***

 Est. 1828

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trepidation
noun
trep·;i·;da·;tion ;tre-p;-;d;-sh;n
Synonyms of trepidation
1
: a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation : apprehension
trepidation about starting a new job
2
archaic : a tremulous motion : tremor


Did you know?
Trepidation Has Latin Roots

If you've ever trembled with fright, you know something of both the sensation and etymology of trepidation. The word comes from the Latin verb trepidare, which means "to tremble." (Trepidare also gave English the verb trepidate, meaning "to feel nervous or apprehensive," but that word is now considered archaic.) Early meanings of trepidation, such as "tremulous motion" or "tremor," reflect its "shaky" origins. Over time, however, those senses gave way to our modern meaning referring to fearful hesitancy.

Synonyms
fear
anxiety
fearfulness
dread
Choose the Right Synonym for trepidation

fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger.

fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown
dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread
fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly
alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm
panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic
terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror
trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation
Examples of trepidation in a Sentence
In the first minutes, hours, or even days of fieldwork most researchers feel trepidation about being an outsider, a stranger on the scene …
—Marie D. Price, Geographical Review, January-April 2001
This was an ambitious project, and a number of us felt some trepidation about the possible results.
—Brian Phillips, New Republic, 13 Dec. 1999
I came aboard the 319 with trepidation, to join the lives of utter strangers, a man untried by the circumstances they had known.
—Henry G. Bugbee, Jr., "Naval History," in Authors at Sea, Robert Shenk, ed.,  1997
He had some trepidation about agreeing to their proposal.
shaking with trepidation, I stepped into the old abandoned house
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The library board began discussing the possibility of bringing the bees back in October, but decided to table the issue, expressing trepidation about bringing the bees back and the possibility of another incident.
—Arkansas Online, 19 Aug. 2025
San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph expressed a little trepidation speaking to the Rotary Club of San Jose on Wednesday, addressing a crowd that included some city councilmembers and Assistant City Manager Lee Wilcox.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2025
But while that sounds good in theory, there’s trepidation among some committee members about it all going wrong.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 31 July 2025
As both excitement and trepidation about AI build, at least 28 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted some type of AI regulation separate from the privacy bills protecting neural data.
—Kff Health News, Denver Post, 25 July 2025

Word History
Etymology
Latin trepidation-, trepidatio, from trepidare to tremble, from trepidus agitated; probably akin to Old English thrafian to urge, push, Greek trapein to press grapes

First Known Use
1605, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of trepidation was in 1605
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