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Apprehensive vs Dubious - What's the difference?

apprehensive | dubious |

As adjectives the difference between apprehensive and dubious

is that apprehensive is anticipating something with anxiety or fear while dubious is arousing doubt; questionable; open to suspicion.

apprehensive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Anticipating something with anxiety or fear.
  • * 1719 ,
    • this convinced me that there was no going on shore for us in the night on that coast, and how to venture on shore in the day was another question too; for to have fallen into the hands of any of the savages had been as bad as to have fallen into the hands of the lions and tigers; at least we were equally apprehensive of the danger of it.
  • Perceptive; quick to learn; intelligent; capable of grasping with the mind or intellect.
  • * 1670 ,
    • More fond of Miracles, than apprehensive of Truth.

    Derived terms

    * apprehensively

    dubious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Arousing doubt; questionable; open to suspicion.
    • After he made some dubious claims about the company, fewer people trusted him.
  • * 2011 , Nigel Jones, "A Tale of Two Scandals", History Today , February 2011, Vol. 61 Issue 2, pages 10–17
    • Evasive, womanising, boastful, malicious, untrustworthy, an inveterate gambler who combined his mediocre military career with running a high-class brothel, permanently cash strapped and viciously quarrelsome, his character is as dubious as his unsavoury appearance.
  • In disbelief; wavering, uncertain, or hesitating in opinion; inclined to doubt; undecided.
    • She was dubious about my plan at first, but later I managed to persuade her to cooperate.
  • * 2010 , John M. Broder, "Global Climate-Change Talks Begin in Cancun With More Modest Expectations", New York Times , November 30, Section A, Column 0, Foreign Desk, page 12
    • Last year, President Obama had large majorities in Congress and hopes of passing a comprehensive climate and energy bill. Next year, he faces a new Congress much more dubious about the reality of climate change and considerably more hostile to international efforts to deal with it.

    Derived terms

    * dubious honor / dubious honour * dubiously * dubiousness

    See also

    *