anxiety

American  

[ang-zahy-i-tee] / æŋˈzaɪ ɪ ti /

noun

anxieties plural

1. distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.

   He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.

   Synonyms:

   disquiet, worry, foreboding, fear

   Antonyms:

   tranquility, serenity, certainty

2. earnest but tense desire; eagerness.

   He had a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.

3. Psychiatry. a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.

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anxiety British  

/ æŋˈzaɪɪtɪ /

noun

1. a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc; worry

2. intense desire; eagerness

3. psychol a state of intense apprehension or worry often accompanied by physical symptoms such as shaking, intense feelings in the gut, etc, common in mental illness or after a very distressing experience See also angst

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anxiety Scientific  

/ ăng-zī′ĭ-tē /

1. A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation.

2. ◆ In psychiatry, a patient has an anxiety disorder ◆ if normal psychological functioning is disrupted or if anxiety persists without an identifiable cause.

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anxiety Cultural  

1. Emotional distress, especially that brought on by fear of failure. (See also angst.)

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Related Words

See apprehension.

Etymology

Origin of anxiety

First recorded in 1515–25; from Latin anxietās, equivalent to anxi(us) anxious + -etās, variant of -itās before a vowel

Compare meaning

How does anxiety compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• anxious vs. anxiety

Explanation

Anxiety is the vague, uneasy feeling you get when you're dreading something. Anxiety can also be a permanent state of nervousness that some people with mental illnesses experience, a milder version of panic. When a scary or unpleasant event is looming, like getting a family portrait taken the year you have braces, you might feel some anxiety. You might also feel anxiety about passing chemistry, especially if you’ve skipped a lot of classes. Someone who suffers from a mild or severe mental illness might feel anxiety all the time. Deep breathing, playing relaxing music, and medication have all been known to help reduce anxiety.

Example Sentences

It was a night of anxiety and questions as people across a wide swath of central Orange County fled their homes due to the risk of a chemical explosion at a Garden Grove aerospace firm.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

Too much knowledge can also be harmful, leading to unnecessary tests and costs, and more anxiety than it’s worth.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

In addition, information about anxiety, depression, cancer stage, previous treatments, and sleep problems before surgery was not collected.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

This financial paradox — practices remaining largely untouched by the new rules — stems partly from a cycle of fear and anxiety around maximising eyeballs and price, and from habits that are hard to change.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

I remind myself again that there’s a lot more to me than my anxiety.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Related Words

• angst
• apprehension
• concern
• disquiet
• doubt
• dread
• jitters
• misery
• misgiving
• mistrust
• nervousness
• panic
• restlessness
• suffering
• suspense
• trouble
• uncertainty
• unease
• uneasiness