Trepidation
Etymology
From Latin “trepidationem,” from “trepidare,” to tremble or hurry with alarm, from “trepidus,” agitated or alarmed. The physical trembling at the root still colours the word: trepidation is fear you can almost feel in the hands.
noun · /trep-ih-DAY-shuhn/
A feeling of nervous fear or agitation about something that is about to happen.
What it names
The jittery apprehension on the threshold of an ordeal — the flutter before you knock, step up, or open the results.
Example
It was with real trepidation that he clicked open the email carrying the exam results.
Related idea
Vague dread can hang over an indefinite future; trepidation is sharper and more immediate, the tremor felt at the very brink of a specific event.