apprehensively

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪvli/ UK /ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪvli/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adv
in a manner showing anxiety or fear about the future

He glanced apprehensively at the darkening sky.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a manner showing anxiety... anxiously nervously fearfully uneasily warilyworriedly

Opposites

calmly confidently fearlessly

Word family

Related forms apprehensive apprehension apprehend

Etymology

From apprehensive (from Latin apprehendere 'to grasp, seize') plus the adverbial suffix -ly.

apprehendere Latin prehendere Latin *ghend- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# apprehensively

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪvli/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌæprɪˈhɛnsɪvli/

## Meanings
1. in a manner showing anxiety or fear about the future

## Examples
- He glanced apprehensively at the darkening sky.

## Synonyms
- anxiously
- nervously
- fearfully
- uneasily
- warily
- worriedly

## Antonyms
- calmly
- confidently
- fearlessly

## Related Forms
- apprehensive
- apprehension
- apprehend

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: apprehendere
- Root: prehendere
- Root: *ghend-

## Etymology
From apprehensive (from Latin apprehendere 'to grasp, seize') plus the adverbial suffix -ly.

## AI Etymology
Apprehensively is an adverb meaning "in a manner showing anxiety or fear about the future". Historically, it is from apprehensive (from Latin apprehendere 'to grasp, seize') plus the adverbial suffix -ly. The visible construction is part of the etymology: apprehensively is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The modern meaning, "in a manner showing anxiety or fear about the future", follows the base word through the added English ending. The historical chain links Latin apprehendere, Latin prehendere, and Proto-Indo-European *ghend-. Close English family members include apprehensive, apprehension, and apprehend.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown