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Apprehensive vs Frightful - What's the difference?

apprehensive | frightful |

As adjectives the difference between apprehensive and frightful

is that apprehensive is while frightful is (obsolete): full of fright; affrighted; frightened.

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

    frightful

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Alternative forms

    * frightfull (archaic)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete): Full of fright; affrighted; frightened.
  • *
  • Full of that which causes fright; exciting alarm; impressing terror; shocking; as, a frightful chasm, or tempest; a frightful appearance.
  • (Used as an intensifier)
    • We wasted a frightful amount of money on renovations.

    Synonyms

    * terrible * dreadful * alarming * fearful * terrific * awful * horrid * horrible * shocking