This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
anxious
[ angk-shuhs, ang- ]
/ ˈæŋk ʃəs, ˈæŋ- /
See the most commonly confused word associated with anxious
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; apprehensive: Her parents were anxious about her poor health.
earnestly desirous; eager (usually followed by an infinitive or for): anxious to please;anxious for our happiness.
attended with or showing solicitude or uneasiness: anxious forebodings.
COMPARE MEANINGS
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
OTHER WORDS FOR anxious
2 enthusiastic.
OPPOSITES FOR anxious
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of anxious
historical usage of anxious
The earliest sense of anxious (in the 17th century) was “troubled” or “worried”: We are still anxious for the safety of our dear sons in battle. Its meaning “earnestly desirous, eager” arose in the mid-18th century: We are anxious to see our new grandson. Some insist that anxious must always convey a sense of distress or worry and object to its use in the sense of “eager,” but such use is fully standard.
OTHER WORDS FROM anxious
anx·ious·ly, adverbanx·ious·ness, nounqua·si-anx·ious, adjectiveun·anx·ious, adjectiveWords nearby anxious
anvil, anxiety, anxiety disorder, anxiety neurosis, anxiolytic, anxious, anxiously, anxiousness, anxious seat, any, Anyang
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use anxious in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for anxious
anxious
/ (ˈæŋkʃəs, ˈæŋʃəs) /
adjective
worried and tense because of possible misfortune, danger, etc; uneasy
fraught with or causing anxiety; worrying; distressingan anxious time
intensely desirous; eageranxious for promotion
Derived forms of anxious
anxiously, adverbanxiousness, nounWord Origin for anxious
C17: from Latin anxius; related to Latin angere to torment; see anger, anguish
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