• Apprehensive

    Full definition of apprehensive

    Adjective

    apprehensive

    1. Anticipating something with anxiety or fear.
      • 1719, Daniel Defoe, this convinced me that there was no going on shore for us in the night on that coast, and how to venture on shore in the day was another question too; for to have fallen into the hands of any of the savages had been as bad as to have fallen into the hands of the lions and tigers; at least we were equally apprehensive of the danger of it.
    2. Perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect.
      • 1670, , More fond of Miracles, than apprehensive of Truth.

    Derived terms

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