anxiety
Americannoun
-
anxieties
plural
-
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
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earnest but tense desire; eagerness.
He had a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
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Psychiatry. a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.
noun
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a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc; worry
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intense desire; eagerness
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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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A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation.
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◆ In psychiatry, a patient has an anxiety disorder ◆ if normal psychological functioning is disrupted or if anxiety persists without an identifiable cause.
Synonym Usage
See apprehension.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing anxiety
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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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:
Previously, only the truly famous – actors, rock stars, pro athletes – were at risk of experiencing the anxiety of public scrutiny.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The current tough job market, squeezed by the rise of artificial intelligence, has added to the anxiety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Bryant will also have noted that First Minister Michelle O'Neill visited Garvaghy Road within 24 hours of the court case and said there is "anxiety" amongst residents over any parade.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
To be sure, while copper’s record run seems part of a theme alongside gold and bitcoin’s advances, it isn’t just about monetary anxiety, White noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
But just as fog didn’t stop them from flying and an official reprimand didn’t stop them from using their own maintenance system, exhaustion and anxiety attacks didn’t stop them from fighting.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
To investors, Dick’s results were proof that years-long anxieties about the shoe retailer were justified.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Cowin addresses us directly, sharing her anxieties about aging, particularly the varieties of physical decline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Treasury yield hit its highest level in 19 years earlier this week, amid investor anxieties over fiscal deficits, heavy AI borrowing and inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
That came as a relief to Opel's workers and the city, though anxieties remain high as the broader auto industry remains under pressure and questions remain about the future shape of the Chinese partnership.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Before Aunty Uju went into the bedroom, tottering under her many anxieties, she said, “Please just pray that it will work.”
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
