anxious
Americanadjective
-
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
-
earnestly desirous; eager (usually followed by an infinitive orfor ): anxious for our happiness.
anxious to please;
anxious for our happiness.
-
attended with or showing solicitude or uneasiness.
anxious forebodings.
adjective
-
worried and tense because of possible misfortune, danger, etc; uneasy
-
fraught with or causing anxiety; worrying; distressing
an anxious time
-
intensely desirous; eager
anxious for promotion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anxious
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin anxius “worried, distressed,” derivative of angere “to strangle, pain, distress”; cf. anguish, -ous
Compare meaning
How does anxious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you are anxious, you are very concerned or worried, but it can also refer to when you are quite interested in something. You might be anxious to improve your performance in math class after falling asleep during a big test. The word anxious has generally been used to describe when someone is very concerned about something. In medical terms, to be anxious means feeling uneasy and worried but not always with a specific focus. On the other hand, being anxious can also mean that you are very eager. One meaning is negative and the other is positive!
Vocabulary lists containing anxious
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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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.
Cook says she was extremely socially anxious before she started coming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Aerial flybys revealed somewhere between 700-1,110 structures have been lost since the fires broke out over the weekend, authorities said, with anxious families awaiting news about when they could return.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
She’s picked up extra hours at work to try to make up the cash, but she is also extremely anxious about continuing her rental search.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The selloff in the stock market came as investors grew increasingly anxious over the massive AI infrastructure buildout, questioning whether the eye-watering capital expenditures from hyperscalers will eventually pay for itself.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Once he had read it from cover to cover, he wouldn’t be anxious anymore.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
