anxiety

[ang-zahy-i-tee]

noun

plural

anxieties 

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.

anxiety

/ 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

anxiety

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.

anxiety

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxiety¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxiety¹

C16: from Latin anxietas; see _anxious

Synonym Study

See apprehension.

Example Sentences

Over the next 12 months, Moore said “customers’ biggest anxiety” revolves around getting enough of Nvidia’s products, especially with its upcoming Rubin AI platform.

Read more on MarketWatch

“You still have the anxiety and depression symptoms?”

Read more on Salon

"While this does not have an impact on public health and food safety, it has potentially very serious consequences on agri-food and has caused real anxiety within the farming community."

Read more on BBC

“The level of anxiety is at an all-time high, especially for the Venezuelan community,” said John De La Vega, an immigration attorney in Miami.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She emphasized that she doesn’t suffer from depression or anxiety, but the scan suggests long-term strain.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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