anxious

[angk-shuhs, ang-]

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.

anxious

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxious¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxious¹

C17: from Latin anxius; related to Latin angere to torment; see _anger , _anguish

Example Sentences

Like Rangers, they had cause to be anxious and negative, playing it tight and hoping for the best.

From BBC

In August, asylum seekers told the BBC that protests outside hotels - which at points turned violent - left them feeling isolated and anxious.

From BBC

"We are scaring a bunch of people for no reason about things they did in the past and we're generating more anxiety in an already very anxious population," she said.

From BBC

"Tamzin would be sent out of class, she found it overwhelming and got very anxious. They didn't know that at the time so it just looked like bad behaviour."

From BBC

He was always very nervous as a player - he'd be shaking, trembling and terribly anxious.

From BBC

Related Words

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