anxious

American  

[angk-shuhs, ang-] / ˈæŋk ʃəs, ˈæŋ- /

adjective

1. 

   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

   Antonyms:

   confident, calm

2. earnestly desirous; eager (usually followed by an infinitive orfor ): anxious for our happiness.

   anxious to please;

   anxious for our happiness.

   Antonyms:

   hesitant, reluctant

3. attended with or showing solicitude or uneasiness.

   anxious forebodings.

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anxious British  

/ ˈæŋkʃəs, ˈæŋʃəs /

adjective

1. worried and tense because of possible misfortune, danger, etc; uneasy

2. fraught with or causing anxiety; worrying; distressing

   an anxious time

3. intensely desirous; eager

   anxious for promotion

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Other Word Forms

• anxiousness
  noun
• quasi-anxious
  adjective
• unanxious
  adjective
• anxiously
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of anxious

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

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Compare meaning

How does anxious compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• anxious vs. anxiety
• anxious vs. eager

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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!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anxious

Although the mayor was back in L.A. the following day, she struggled to regain her footing during the televised wildfire updates that aired live before an anxious public.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026

The podcast aims to offer a balm in anxious times, an hour of eavesdropping on Poehler and the famous friends, collaborators and personal heroes she’s amassed over more than 25 years in show business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

But over the past few weeks, some of the banks grew increasingly anxious about participating in the deal, known as “Project North Star,” people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

In recent weeks, investors have grown more anxious about the AI debt landscape, particularly as it relates to neocloud companies like CoreWeave that have relied on borrowed money to fuel their growth.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

“Well,” I said, “I’d better be on my way. I’m anxious to see if I can make friends with that monkey.”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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Related Words

• afraid
• apprehensive
• careful
• concerned
• distressed
• fearful
• fidgety
• jittery
• nervous
• restless
• scared
• uneasy
• uptight

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