YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME
Trepidation
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Meaning in plain English
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Pronunciation
Trepidation/ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən/
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An unfamiliar challenge is ahead
You feel fear and uncertainty
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Examples in context
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- She opened the exam results with trepidation, unsure of what she would find.
- There was a sense of trepidation in the air before the big announcement.
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She opened the exam results with ________, unsure of what she would find.
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Trepidation — A feeling of fear, anxiety, or dread about something that may happen.
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A feeling of fear, anxiety, or dread about something that may happen.
Compare: She opened the exam results with trepidation, unsure of what she would find.
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Trepidation before an uncertain event
Trepidation is a nervous or fearful feeling about what might happen. It commonly appears in with trepidation or trepidation about something. It does not mean the feared outcome has already occurred. A person can feel excitement and trepidation at the same time.
In context: With some trepidation, he opened the message containing the audition results.
Try it: Has he necessarily received bad news in this example?
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No. Trepidation describes his apprehension before he knows the result.
Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Trepidation.
Word origin
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