trepidation
Americannoun
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tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.
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Archaic. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.
noun
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a state of fear or anxiety
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a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of trepidation
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin trepidātiōn- (stem of trepidātiō ), equivalent to trepidāt(us) (past participle of trepidāre “to hurry, panic, alarm” + -iōn- noun suffix; see trepid, -ate 1, -ion
Explanation
When plain old "fear" isn't enough to get across a deep feeling of dread about something on the horizon, use the more formal word trepidation. "It was with a certain trepidation that I attended an advance screening of Rob Zombie's Halloween in Hollywood last night," wrote a film reviewer. Some dictionaries note that trepidation carries connotations of apprehension about an upcoming threat. In most cases, though, you can get by with the simpler word fear — why use three syllables when you could make do with one? The word comes from the Latin verb trepidare, "to tremble."
Vocabulary lists containing trepidation
The Crucible
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Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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Grade 10, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Chinese models are causing trepidation at leading U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
But for all of Tom and Anna’s trepidation toward Max, they do little to thwart him from being all up in their business.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
We were surrounded by so much beauty; it was almost impossible to let trepidation win.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
England's performance had its flaws and it is too soon to get carried away – but future opponents will have viewed their attacking display with some trepidation.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
He blanched with trepidation when he guessed what was troubling Yossarian.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Next year, Ravinder and Gita will have been married for half a century, the trepidations of youth dispelled by time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
I was nervous that he would have trepidations — ‘Oh, I’ve got this sick person on set.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025
"I had trepidations about coming at all, but I'm glad I did," he says.
From BBC ● May 30, 2023
With each passing day, rail workers are getting their story out about their trepidations about the length, weight and make-up of the toxic train that originated in Illinois and was headed east to Pennsylvania.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2023
If my heart faltered, it must not be supposed that my trepidations arose from any selfish considerations.
From Arthur Mervyn Or, Memoirs of the Year 1793 by Brown, Charles Brockden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
