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.

TREPIDATION definition: tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation. See examples of trepidation used in a sentence.

TREPIDATION definition: 1. fear or worry about what is going to happen: 2. fear or worry about what is going to happen…. Learn more.

great worry or fear about something unpleasant that may happen. He knocked on the door with some trepidation. Want to learn more? Definition of trepidation noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's …

Trepidation is fear or anxiety about something that you are going to do or experience. It was with some trepidation that I viewed the prospect of cycling across the country.

trepidation, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

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.

Dec 14, 2025 · Borrowed from Latin trepidātiō, from trepidō (“be agitated”). trepidation (countable and uncountable, plural trepidations) I decided, with considerable trepidation, to let him drive my car …

Some common synonyms of trepidation are alarm, dread, fear, fright, panic, and terror. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," trepidation adds to dread …

trepidation (ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən) n 1. a state of fear or anxiety 2. a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety