Apprehension
mediumNegative toneap-rih-HEN-shun
noun
Definition
Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen
Memory hook
APPRE-HENSION: Fear SEIZES you -- anxiety grips your mind about what's coming.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“He felt apprehension about the upcoming surgery.”
“There was widespread apprehension about the economic crisis.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“He felt ______ about the upcoming surgery.”
Show answer
apprehension
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Apprehension is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "anxiety" or "unease" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "confidence".
Related GRE Words
trepidation
A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen
ambivalent
Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something
animosity
Strong hostility or hatred
antipathy
a deep, settled feeling of dislike or aversion
contempt
The feeling that a person or thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn
contrite
feeling deep remorse for wrongdoing; repentant
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