trepidus

Trepidus is a Latin adjective meaning “frightened, trembling, alarmed” and is used to describe people, actions, or states marked by fear or agitation. In Classical Latin-style writing it conveys a sense of anxiety or haste born of fear, rather than mere courage or resolve.

Etymology and related terms: trepidus derives from Latin roots associated with trembling and fear. The related noun trepidatio denotes fear, trembling, or agitation, and the verb trepidare (and its compounds) means to tremble or be afraid. In English, trepidus is the source of trepidation and appears in scholarly or stylistic uses to evoke classical diction.

Declension and grammar: trepidus follows the pattern of a first/second declension adjective, with masculine, feminine, and neuter stems trepid-, trepida-, trepidum. Common forms include trepidus (masc. nom. sg.), trepida (fem. nom. sg.), trepidum (neut. nom. sg.); genitive trepidī (masc./neut.) and trepidæ (fem.); dative trepidō for all genders; accusatives trepidum, trepidam, trepidum; ablatives trepidō, trepidā, trepidō. This allows flexible agreement with nouns of any gender in standard Latin syntax.

Usage and context: today trepidus is encountered mainly in classical Latin texts or in modern writing emulating that style. It often appears in idiomatic phrases describing emotional states or actions performed with fear. For broader English usage, trepidation is far more common; trepidant or trepidantem occur occasionally in literary or descriptive contexts to convey a sense of trembling or anxious activity.

See also: trepidation, trepidant, tremble (conceptual connections to fear and agitation).