1. Not apprehensive or quick to understand; stupid, unintelligent.
1624. Donne, Devot., Med. xiv. (ed. 2), 321. When they [sc. honours and pleasures] come in an vnapprehensive Age, they come … as a Pardon, when the head is off.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., III. Wks. 1851, V. 130. Unapprehensive, yet impudent; suttle Prowlers, Pastors in Name, but indeed Wolves.
1770. Gray, in Corr. w. Nicholls (1843), 104. Pray let the next you send me be halt and blind, dull, unapprehensive, and wrong headed.
1786. Francis the Philanthropist, I. 66. The wine was sour, the sheets wet,… and the servants unapprehensive and impertinent.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, v. Frame not thyself more unapprehensive than nature hath formed thee.
1840. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (1842), V. iii. 41. They look at them as infants gaze at the objects which meet their eyes, in a vague unapprehensive way.
2. Not anticipative or fearful of danger, etc.
1666. W. Boghurst, Loimographia (1894), 28. The patient being unapprehensive of his danger.
1672. Wilkins, Nat. Relig., 267. That stupor and benummedness of spirit, whereby men are made unapprehensive of their afflictions.
1728. Eliza Heywood, trans. Mme. de Gomez’s Belle A. (1732), II. 227. Unapprehensive of the Destiny which attended him.
1805. Wordsw., Prelude, II. 455. And for this cause to thee I speak, unapprehensive of contempt.
1854. J. S. C. Abbott, Napoleon (1885), I. xxvi. 409. For there were thousands of travelers on the Continent, unapprehensive of danger.
b. With clause, or without const.
a. 1705. J. Howe, Living Temple, I. ii. § 8. I am not unapprehensive that I might … have proceeded in another method.
1742. Blair, Grave, 477. In gamesome Mood To frolick on Eternity’s dread Brink, Unapprehensive.
1753. Richardson, Grandison (1781), I. xxxix. 283. My heart is a little lighter: Yet not unapprehensive.
1829. Scott, Anne of G., ix. In the hour of unaffected and unapprehensive ease and simplicity.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxxvii. (1856), 340, note. The animals were entirely unapprehensive.
