trepidation - trep-ih-DAY-shun - fear, horror, dread, repulsion
Example: "French families await the news of the disappeared plane with grave trepidation."
As a starter: and as a former teacher in English, I hope to add to reader's vocabulary by presenting a word a day in simple terms that anyone can understand - from current use in publications, radio,TV, etc. Remember: use a new word three times in a day and it's yours forever!