trepidation.

nervous fear or hesitation about something expected or about to happen

Use it for

Words that belong together

• with trepidation
• mounting trepidation
• a sense of trepidation

On the page

She approached the locked room with trepidation.

His trepidation grew as the interview drew near.

The promise of rescue did little to ease their trepidation.

Usage notes

Primary curation section: Fear. Usually anticipatory and more specific than general anxiety; not necessarily sudden panic. Formal; unpleasant emotional state. Usually uncountable. Related adjective: trepidatious, less common.