anxiety

[ ang-zahy-i-tee ]

noun

, plural anx·i·e·ties.

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. See angst
   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

/ 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.

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

The book soon filled, its pages scrawled with stories of anxiety and depression.

From Ozy

If I was shown that it’s okay to talk about emotions and feel this way, then I probably wouldn’t have held in my anxiety for so long.

From Quartz

In a phone interview, Quannah Chasing Horse Potts said she wants her mother to have peace after two years of anxiety and hopes that comes from her family reclaiming its story.

From ProPublica

Fear and anxiety are predictors of people — particularly young people — turning towards extremism and violence, said Miller-Idriss.

From FiveThirtyEight

The challenge is that each of these communities may require a different strategy, have different underlying anxieties and fears, and require a slightly different intervention to placate their fears.

From Vox

Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.

From The Daily Beast

Disordered eating is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, both in the present and in the future.

From The Daily Beast

Anger often manifests in withholders as another self-destructive but more socially acceptable feeling or behavior, like anxiety.

From The Daily Beast

For my technologically illiterate mother, the idea of paying bills online provokes as much anxiety as throwing something away.

From The Daily Beast

Yet, in pursuit of that ‘great revival of art,’ his anxiety, depression, and overall health began to deteriorate.

From The Daily Beast

And now there was added to this devotion an element of indefinable anxiety which made its vigilance unceasing.

From Project Gutenberg

At last his anxiety reached a point where he was positive that if he received an adverse decision, it would surely kill him.

From Project Gutenberg

The fact that her fortune was vaguely threatened did not cause her anxiety: she scarcely realized it.

From Project Gutenberg

Murat was in no hurry to commence his reign, and his subjects showed no great anxiety to see their new ruler.

From Project Gutenberg

Eighteen hundred and fifty-one was a period of anxiety to the Midland and to railway companies generally.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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