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definitions

anxiety

[ ang-zahy-i-tee ]
/ æŋˈzaɪ ɪ ti /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR anxiety ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural anx·i·e·ties.

distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune: He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.
earnest but tense desire; eagerness: He had a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
Psychiatry. a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

anurous, anus, anuszkiewicz, anvers, anvil, anxiety, anxiety disorder, anxiety hysteria, anxiety neurosis, anxiety reaction, anxiety state

Origin of anxiety

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

Synonym study

1. See apprehension.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anxiety

British Dictionary definitions for anxiety

anxiety

/ (æŋˈzaɪɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc; worry
intense desire; eagerness
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 experienceSee also angst

Word Origin for anxiety

C16: from Latin anxietas; see anxious
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anxiety

anxiety

n.

1520s, from Latin anxietatem (nominative anxietas) "anguish, anxiety, solicitude," noun of quality from anxius (see anxious). Psychiatric use dates to 1904. Age of Anxiety is from Auden's poem (1947). For "anxiety, distress," Old English had angsumnes, Middle English anxumnesse.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for anxiety

anxiety

[ ăng-zī′ĭ-tē ]

n.

A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
A cause of anxiety.
A state of intense apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation, often to a degree that normal physical and psychological functioning is disrupted.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for anxiety

anxiety

[ ăng-zī′ĭ-tē ]

A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation.♦ In psychiatry, a patient has an anxiety disorder ♦ if normal psychological functioning is disrupted or if anxiety persists without an identifiable cause.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for anxiety

anxiety

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.