anxiousness

[angk-shuhs-nis, ang-]

noun

1. the state of being greatly worried; mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; anxiety.

   The warm welcome from her new classmates made all her anxiousness go away.

2. the state of being earnestly desirous; eagerness (followed by to orfor ).

   As he sat in the cabin of the combat plane, he felt no fear or apprehension, just anxiousness to get airborne.

Other Word Forms

• unanxiousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of anxiousness¹

First recorded in 1630–40; anxious ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )