apprehensive

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ap=pre=hen=sive

CIDE DICTIONARY

apprehensive, a. [Cf. F. appréhensif. See Apprehend.].

•  Capable of apprehending, or quick to do so; apt; discerning.  [1913 Webster]

  "It may be pardonable to imagine that a friend, a kind and apprehensive . . . friend, is listening to our talk."  [1913 Webster]
•  Knowing; conscious; cognizant.  [1913 Webster]

  "A man that has spent his younger years in vanity and folly, and is, by the grace of God, apprehensive of it."  [1913 Webster]
•  Relating to the faculty of apprehension.  [1913 Webster]

  "Judgment . . . is implied in every apprehensive act."  [1913 Webster]
•  Anticipative of something unfavorable' fearful of what may be coming; in dread of possible harm; in expectation of evil.  [1913 Webster]

  "Not at all apprehensive of evils as a distance."  [1913 Webster]

  "Reformers . . . apprehensive for their lives."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sensible; feeling; perceptive.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thoughts, my tormentors, armed with deadly stings,
  Mangle my apprehensive, tenderest parts."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

apprehensive, adj.
1 (often foll. by of, for) uneasily fearful; dreading.
2 relating to perception by the senses or the intellect.
3 archaic perceptive; intelligent.

Derivative

apprehensively adv. apprehensiveness n.

Etymology

F appr{eacute}hensif or med.L apprehensivus (as APPREHEND, -IVE)

THESAURUS

apprehensive

afraid, agitated, alive, all nerves, all-knowing, all-overish, anxious, anxioused up, apperceptive, appercipient, apprehending, awake, aware, bothered, cognizant, comprehending, concerned, conscious, disquieted, disturbed, edgy, excitable, fearful, foreboding, frightened, high-strung, in a pucker, in a stew, in suspense, insightful, intelligent, irritable, keyed-up, knowing, knowledgeable, mindful, misgiving, nerves on edge, nervous, nervy, omniscient, on edge, on tenterhooks, on tiptoe, overanxious, overapprehensive, overstrung, panicky, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, perturbed, prehensile, qualmish, qualmy, quivering, sagacious, sensible, sentient, shrewd, solicitous, strained, suspenseful, taut, tense, troubled, understanding, uneasy, ware, wise, with bated breath, with muscles tense, witting, zealous

ROGET THESAURUS

apprehensive

Fear

N fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence, apprehensiveness, fearfulness, solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving, feeze, mistrust, suspicion, qualm, hesitation, nervousness, restlessness, inquietude, disquietude, worry, concern, batophobia, heartquake, flutter, trepidation, fear and trembling, perturbation, tremor, quivering, shaking, trembling, throbbing heart, palpitation, ague fit, cold sweat, abject fear, mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency, despair, fright, affright, affrightment, boof alarm, dread, awe, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic, scare, stampede (of horses), intimidation, terrorism, reign of terror, bug bear, bugaboo, scarecrow, hobgoblin, nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum, bete noire, enfant terrible, alarmist, fearing, frightened, in fear, in a fright, haunted with the fear of, afeard, afraid, fearful, timid, timorous, nervous, diffident, coy, faint- hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety, more frightened than hurt, aghast, awe-stricken, horror-stricken, terror-stricken, panic- stricken, awestruck, awe-stricken, horror-struck, frightened to death, white as a sheet, pale, pale as a ghost, pale as death, pale as ashes, breathless, in hysterics, inspiring fear, alarming, formidable, redoubtable, perilous, portentous, fearful, dread, dreadful, fell, dire, direful, shocking, terrible, terrific, tremendous, horrid, horrible, horrific, ghastly, awful, awe-inspiring, revolting, Gorgonian, in terrorem, Int, angels and ministers of grace defend us!, ante tubam trepidat, horresco referens, one's heart failing one, obstupui steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit, a dagger of the mind, expertus metuit, fain would I climb but that I fear to fall, fear is the parent of cruelty, Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire, omnia tuta timens, our fears do make us traitors.