apprehension

/ˌæprɪˈhenʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌæprɪˈhenʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌa-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən/ (ame, mw)

apprehension — noun

1. an uneasy feeling that something bad or difficult is coming, often mixed with qu

1.名詞C1
釋義

an uneasy feeling that something bad or difficult is coming, often mixed with quiet dread — for example, the tight feeling in your stomach the night before a big exam, surgery, or moving to a new country.

例句

Mei felt a growing apprehension about her first day at the new school.

apprehension about + noun phrase

There was real apprehension among the staff that the office would close by summer.

apprehension that + clause

同義詞
  • anxiety

    broader and more clinical; can describe a long-term mental state, not just one event.

  • unease

    milder; vague discomfort without a clear cause.

  • dread

    stronger and darker; suggests near-certainty that something bad will happen.

  • trepidation

    formal; nervous hesitation when facing a specific task or moment.

反義詞

文法句型

apprehension about + noun

apprehension that + clause

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or group; the trigger is named with 'about' or a 'that'-clause. Distinguish from sense 2 (CATCHING) and sense 3 (UNDERSTANDING) — only this sense describes a feeling.

常見錯誤

❌I have an apprehension to fly.
✅I have some apprehension about flying.
💡use 'about + -ing', not 'to + verb'.
❌She felt apprehensions before the test.
✅She felt apprehension before the test.
💡usually uncountable in this sense.

2. the action by police or another authority of stopping a person who is breaking t

2.名詞C1
釋義

the action by police or another authority of stopping a person who is breaking the law and taking that person into custody — used in news reports, court documents, and official statements rather than everyday speech.

例句

The apprehension of the suspect took place near a small park in central Taipei.

the apprehension of + noun (formal frame)

Officer Yara was praised for the swift apprehension of the two robbers.

同義詞
  • arrest

    the everyday and most common word for the same action.

  • capture

    stresses physically taking hold of someone, often after a chase.

  • seizure

    even more formal; can also apply to property, not only people.

反義詞
  • release

    letting a held person go free.

  • escape

    the person getting away before being held.

文法句型

the apprehension of + noun

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable and almost always followed by 'of + person'. Frequent in news and legal writing; in conversation, people say 'arrest' or 'catching'. Distinguish from sense 1 by domain (law / police, not feeling).

常見錯誤

❌The police did an apprehension yesterday.
✅The police made an arrest yesterday.
💡in this legal sense, native speakers prefer 'arrest' in casual contexts.

3. the mental act of taking in an idea and seeing what it really means — the kind o

3.名詞C1
釋義

the mental act of taking in an idea and seeing what it really means — the kind of clear inner picture you form after reading a difficult passage or hearing a teacher explain a tricky concept.

例句

Her quick apprehension of the math problem surprised the whole class.

apprehension of + noun (intellectual grasp)

Mei reread the final stanza twice, hoping for a clearer apprehension of the poet's image.

同義詞
  • understanding

    the everyday word; works in any register.

  • grasp

    stresses successfully holding a difficult idea in mind.

  • comprehension

    common in education contexts (reading comprehension); slightly less formal than 'apprehension'.

  • perception

    the way someone sees or interprets something, not just whether they understand.

反義詞

文法句型

apprehension of + noun

用法筆記

Formal and a bit literary; common in academic and philosophical writing about thinking, perception, and learning. Distinguish from sense 1 (a feeling) and sense 2 (an arrest); here the focus is purely mental understanding.

常見錯誤

❌I have a good apprehension of English.
✅I have a good understanding of English.
💡for ordinary skill or knowledge, native speakers say 'understanding' or 'grasp'.