apprehensive en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnsɪv/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌæpɹɪˈhensɪv/ (Australia)
Etymology
From Latin apprehensīvus, from apprehensus, perfect passive participle of apprehendō (“to apprehend, understand, learn”) + -īvus (“-ive”).
Meanings
-
Anticipating something with anxiety, fear, or doubt; reluctant.
But Claggart's was no vulgar form of the passion. Nor, as directed toward Billy Budd, did it partake of that streak of apprehensive jealousy that marred Saul's visage perturbedly brooding on the comely young David. Claggart's envy struck deeper.
1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter XI.”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC, pages 256–257:Never before in his life had Dan Holland feared anything, but now he was apprehensive for the safety of this trim blond creature before him.
1947 August, “Death Thumbs A Ride”, in Crime Does Not Pay, number 54, page 45:This convinc'd me that there was no going on Shore for us in the Night upon 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 Lyons and Tygers; at leaſt we were equally apprehenſive of the Danger of it.
1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 28:
-
(obsolete) Perceptive; quick to learn; capable of understanding using one's intellect.
More fond of Miracles, than apprehensive of Truth.
1670, John Milton, History of Britain:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most apprehensive | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more apprehensive | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
inapprehensive · unapprehensive · apprehensively · misapprehensive · apprehensiveness · overapprehensive
Translations (101)
fr perspicace (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pl zatroskany (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · hu jó felfogású (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · mk пла́шлив (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · hu éles eszű (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · fr inquiet (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · bg загрижен (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cs chápající (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sh pronìcav (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · mi manawakino (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ru проница́тельный (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · la praementuens (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · es inquieto (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · sh за̀бринӯт (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · bg тревожен (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · tr tedirgin (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · sh zàbrinūt (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · pl zaniepokojony (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cmn 反應敏銳的 /反应敏锐的 (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · no engstelig (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ja 理解が早い (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sh интелигѐнтан (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · unm xahumàlsi (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cs znepokojený (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · gl aprehensivo (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mk остро́умен (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · nl bezorgd (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · sh ȍštroūman (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · ja 気遣う (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ko 우려(憂慮)하다 (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mi whakapūhana (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ru опаса́ющийся (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ru сообрази́тельный (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pdt beklommen (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ru насторо́женный (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mk тре́вожен (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · hu aggódó (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · tr çabuk kavrayan (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sh пронѝцљив (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · es aprehensivo (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · ja 不安な (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · fr vif (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pl niespokojny (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · fr soucieux (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ja 恐れる (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cs obezřetný (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ja 明敏な (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · mk про́никлив (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pt receoso (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · fi huolestunut (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · sv ängslig (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ca aprensiu (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mk за́грижен (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · sh pronìcljiv (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sh о̏штроӯман (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · hu aggodalmas (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · tr endişeli (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mk пре́тпазлив (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · de besorgt (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ko 염려(念慮)하다 (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · fi älykäs (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · de ängstlich (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ko 이해(理解)가 빠른 (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pt apreensivo (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mi whakaririka (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · mi mānukanuka (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ru поня́тливый (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · de lernfähig (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · fi tarkkanäköinen (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · ru боязли́вый (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · bg съобразителен (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · de beklommen (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cs vnímavý (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · ru встрево́женный (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · fi levoton (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cmn 善於領會的 /善于领会的 (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pl pojętny (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · fi terävä-älyinen (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · pl strwożony (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cmn 憂慮 /忧虑 (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · hu nyugtalan (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · ar مُتَوَتِّر (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cs úzkostný (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · fr appréhensif (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · es aprensivo (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · de scharfsinnig (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sh inteligèntan (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sh пронѝцав (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · ko 총명(聰明)한 (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · de bedenklich (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · hu értelmes (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · ru смышлёный (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · mi anipā (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · de gewieft (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · tr kıvrak zekâlı (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · sv orolig (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · pt apreensivo (perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect) · cs obávající se (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · no urolig (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · de voller Bedenken (anticipating something with anxiety or fear) · cmn 恐懼 /恐惧 (anticipating something with anxiety or fear)