"trembling from fear or terror," 1640s, from Latin trepidus "scared" (see trepidation). Related: Trepidly; trepidness.
Entries linking to trepid
trepidation n.
c. 1600, from French trepidation (15c.) and directly from Latin trepidationem (nominative trepidatio) "agitation, alarm, trembling," noun of action from past-participle stem of trepidare "to tremble, hurry," from trepidus "alarmed, scared," from PIE *trep- (1) "to shake, tremble" (source also of Sanskrit trprah "hasty," Old Church Slavonic trepetati "to tremble"), related to *trem- (see tremble (v.)). Related: Trepidacious (1915).