- Today's Word
Trepidation
[trep-i-DAY-shun]
Definition
- (noun) A feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen. It describes a state of nervous uncertainty or apprehension about a future event or situation.
Example
As she approached the stage to give her first public speech, Sarah felt a sense of trepidation, her heart racing and palms sweating.
Fun Fact
The word “trepidation” comes from the Latin word “trepidare,” meaning “to tremble.” In medieval astronomy, it was used to describe a hypothetical oscillation of the heavens, believed to account for certain irregularities in the precession of the equinoxes. This astronomical use is now obsolete, but it shows how words can shift in meaning over time. Today, “trepidation” is primarily used to describe emotional states rather than celestial movements.
(adjective) Likely to cause harm or work against something; hostile and damaging to a person or cause.
The startup’s chaotic management style proved inimical to creativity, driving away the very talent it needed most to survive.
Inimical derives from the Latin inimicalis, meaning “hostile” or “unfriendly,” rooted in inimicus — “enemy” — built from in- (“not”) and amicus (“friend”). It shares its ancestry with the word enemy, both tracing back to the same Latin root. It entered English in the 17th century, used to describe forces, conditions, or people that actively work against something rather than simply being indifferent to it.