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Synonyms

anxiously

American  
[angk-shuhs-lee, ang-] / ˈæŋk ʃəs li, ˈæŋ- /

adverb

  1. in an uneasy or worried manner.

    My first call was to my wife, who had been anxiously awaiting word of my whereabouts.

  2. in an earnestly desirous or eager manner.

    They are anxiously awaiting the birth of their first child.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of anxiously

anxious ( def. ) + -ly


Vocabulary lists containing anxiously

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Simply put, throughout his career, Defoe - also England's highest-scoring substitute with seven goals - was the ruthless finisher a manager wished to see when anxiously glancing at their bench in need of a goal.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The book opens in December 2006 with a 29-year-old Tom Brady anxiously heading out for a blind date with Ms. Bündchen: the kind of scene that tells readers they’re in for something new.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Some wrote anxiously about the “strain . . . being felt throughout the services, in terms of wear and tear on the troops, their families, and their equipment.”

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

The sailors anxiously watched as tugboats battled the blaze that had engulfed storage tanks.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Then he bounced off and scampered over to Donkeyberry, who was watching the scene anxiously.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

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