trepidation
tre·pi·da·tion/ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/noun
trepidation is spelled T-R-E-P-I-D-A-T-I-O-N: 11 letters and 4 syllables (tre·pi·da·tion). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, trepidation means “Anxiety over the uncertain future or possible ill-occurrence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of trepidation is trepidations.
How many letters and syllables are in trepidation?
| Letters | 11: T-R-E-P-I-D-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: tre·pi·da·tion |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is trepidation?
Trepidation appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce trepidation?
- US /ˌtɹɛp.ɪˈdeɪ.ʃən/
Trepidation has 4 syllables, split tre·pi·da·tion in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-trepidation.ogg, En-au-trepidation.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with trepidation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as trepidation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃən/):
- situation
- association
- population
- administration
- operation
- organization
- application
- location
- generation
- foundation
- conversation
- investigation
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of trepidation
- trepidations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does trepidation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Anxiety over the uncertain future or possible ill-occurrence.
I decided, with considerable trepidation, to let him drive my car without me.
- 2
An involuntary trembling, sometimes an effect of paralysis, but usually caused by terror or fear.
- 3
obsoleteA libration of the starry sphere in the Ptolemaic system; a motion ascribed to the firmament, to account for certain small changes in the position of the ecliptic and of the stars.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Trepidation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | inquiétude, crainte, appréhension , trépidation |
| German | Beklommenheit, Angst, Bangen , Zittern, Erbeben , Trepidation |
| Portuguese | trepidação, ansiedade, receio, tremor, perturbação, tremura |
| Spanish | preocupación, duda, aprensión, ansiedad, inquietud, desazón |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does trepidation come from?
Borrowed from Latin trepidātiō, from trepidō (“be agitated”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).