Literary notes about apprehensive (AI summary)
The term "apprehensive" is employed by authors to evoke an immediate sense of unease, reluctance, or cautious forewarning in their characters. In some texts, it conveys a physical manifestation of anxiety, as seen when a character’s gaze is described with a look marked by nervous anticipation [1]; in others, it implies a broader sentiment of fear about impending consequences or the unknown, such as when individuals worry about ambushes or unfavorable outcomes [2][3]. This adjective is versatile enough to capture both emotional vulnerability—where a character’s hesitant glance hints at inner turmoil [4]—and a calculated wariness, reflecting not only personal insecurity but also the anticipation of external threats.
- Gerty lifted an apprehensive look to her pale face, in which the eyes shone with a peculiar sleepless lustre.
— from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - The Delawares followed to a sufficient distance from their own encampment, and then halted for orders, apprehensive of being led into an ambush.
— from The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper - Apprehensive that the part he had taken in the escape might prove fatal to himself, Duncan left the place without delay.
— from The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper - “Yes,” answered Diana, stifling a giggle with an apprehensive glance over her shoulder at the closed sitting-room door.
— from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
