apprehension

noun

ˌa-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən How to pronounce apprehension (audio)
Definition of apprehensionnext
1
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune the hikers entered the dark cave with a great deal of apprehension

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrest
the act of taking into one's control by authority of law apprehension of the burglar set the neighborhood at ease

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fear
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble felt a great deal of apprehension about the trip and about arriving safely

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in understanding
the knowledge gained from the process of coming to know or understand something a good apprehension of how computer systems work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of apprehension Read on to find out more about how DLSS works (and some early apprehensions about its latest release). — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 All 25 models showed signs of internal coding that were specific to personally painful situations and were distinct from other negative contexts, like frustration or apprehension. — New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026 Robinson, 59, of Churchill, Pennsylvania, is the managing attorney at a Pittsburgh law firm, and has been charged with felony tampering and hindering apprehension for trying to conceal evidence. — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Licata in particular prepared for apprehension from the moment TEA Commissioner Mike Morath appointed him as the district’s leader. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for apprehension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apprehension
  1. dread
  2. arrest
  3. fear
  4. understanding
  5. worry
  6. concern
  7. appreciation
  8. anxiety
Noun
  • Long before the shooting, every school drop-off carried a quiet dread.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • With homes nearly toppling into the ocean and back-to-back floods and hurricanes amplifying our sense of dread, keeping track of all things El Niño can be overwhelming.
    — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dread
Noun
  • However, following his arrest, the owner, Mohammad Khan, blamed this week's rains for weakening one of the roofs, according to police, who said the investigation was still underway.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to a letter sent to parents from Melissa ISD police chief Chris Fontana, the district immediately fired Phillip Gates, 60, after learning of his arrest on Tuesday.
    — Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Noun
  • The White House decision has heightened fears that Ukraine could be left exposed to Moscow's escalating attacks as winter approaches.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That a self-image forged in the crucible of the fear of being ugly makes women amputate their talents?
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • For my body has betrayed that my personal Room 101 must be the mid-exposure realization of having miscalculated a mutual understanding.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This study challenges conventional understanding in neuroscience.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of understanding
Noun
  • Melanie Lawrence, a 68-year-old independent, worries about wells going dry in her area near Willcox, where the groundwater grew so depleted that the land started to crack.
    — Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In an interview earlier this fall with NPR, Los Angeles County's top voting official, Dean Logan, alluded to those worries.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • Patients complete an online survey covering their skin concerns, history, current routine and goals, which is reviewed by a clinician licensed in their state.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • YouTube Dividing Lines Drawn The inseparable relationship between YouTube and TV was clear for all to see at MIPCOM Cannes but serious concerns from the latter remain.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • For all her appreciation of history, Chiuri is determined to look forward.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The minister presented al-Shahat and his wife with certificates of appreciation, and awarded them a trip to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage in recognition of his honesty and responsible conduct for not keeping the discovery to himself.
    — Ahmed Shawkat, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of appreciation
Noun
  • When the line between general unease with not knowing crosses into anxiety that interferes with daily life, people should seek professional help, said Dugas.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Given Abbey’s anxieties about spending money and fear of not having enough, Stacy plans to use very conservative assumptions for inflation, health costs and average returns when making her projections based on Abbey’s savings today.
    — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of anxiety

Browse Nearby Words

apprehensible
apprehension
apprehensions
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Apprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apprehension. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on apprehension

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about apprehension

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All