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anxious

[ angk-shuhs, ang- ]
/ ˈæŋk ʃəs, ˈæŋ- /
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See synonyms for: anxious / anxiously / anxiousness on Thesaurus.com

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.

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Origin of anxious

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin anxius “worried, distressed,” derivative of angere “to strangle, pain, distress”; cf. anguish, -ous

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, adjective
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, noun

Word 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
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