anxious

[ angk-shuhs, ang- ]

adjective

1. full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; apprehensive:

   Her parents were anxious about her poor health.

   Synonyms: enthusiastic, solicitous, uneasy, fearful, disturbed, concerned

   Antonyms: confident, calm

2. earnestly desirous; eager (usually followed by an infinitive or for ): anxious for our happiness.

   anxious to please;

   anxious for our happiness.

   Antonyms: hesitant, reluctant

3. attended with or showing solicitude or uneasiness:

   anxious forebodings.

anxious

/ ˈæŋkʃəs; ˈæŋʃəs /

adjective

1. worried and tense because of possible misfortune, danger, etc; uneasy
2. fraught with or causing anxiety; worrying; distressing

   an anxious time

3. intensely desirous; eager

   anxious for promotion

Derived Forms

• ˈanxiousness, noun
• ˈanxiously, adverb

Other Words From

• anx·ious·ly adverb
• anx·ious·ness noun
• qua·si-anx·ious adjective
• un·anx·ious adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxious¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin anxius “worried, distressed,” derivative of angere “to strangle, pain, distress”; anguish, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxious¹

C17: from Latin anxius; related to Latin angere to torment; see anger , anguish

Example Sentences

"I must have been about 11, I think, probably, at the time. Maybe 10. I'd never been to anything like that before. And I was a bit anxious as to what to expect," he said.

From BBC

Residents in Damascus have told of an anxious wait for news on what was happening in Syria's capital city overnight.

From BBC

I was so anxious that day as I approached her, emboldened by her direct eye contact and easy smile.

From Los Angeles Times

The first Civil War soldier to move in was a private from New York, and so anxious was he that he pitched a tent, unwilling to wait for the wooden barracks to be finished.

From Los Angeles Times

Being a professional drama critic is a great privilege, but it’s the critical sensibility that I’m most anxious to preserve in an age of increasingly militant dogma.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afraid
• apprehensive
• careful
• concerned
• distressed
• fearful
• fidgety
• jittery
• nervous
• restless
• scared
• uneasy
• uptight