apprehensive
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
feeling worried or nervous about something you are going to do or something that might happen.
anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen. Often used with 'about' or 'of'.
Simple“I felt a bit apprehensive about starting my new job on Monday.”
In context“The investors remained apprehensive about the market's volatility, despite the government's assurances that the economy was stabilizing.”
UsageCommonly followed by the preposition 'about' or 'of', or by a 'that' clause.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
able to learn or understand things quickly.
capable of understanding or quick to perceive with the intellect.
Simple“The young student was quite apprehensive and mastered the difficult lesson in minutes.”
In context“In the old texts, the author describes the protagonist as an apprehensive youth, meaning he was sharp-witted and eager to learn.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is no longer used in modern English; students will only encounter it in literature from the 17th or 18th centuries.
Synonyms
From Latin apprehensīvus, from apprehensus, perfect passive participle of apprehendō (“to apprehend, understand, learn”) + -īvus (“-ive”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.