anxiousness
Americannoun
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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.
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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
Etymology
Origin of anxiousness
First recorded in 1630–40; anxious ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The terrific Mr. Baker portrays Leigh with antsy anxiousness thinly masked by a veneer of professional camaraderie—he knows that Jay’s participation is crucial to the success, or maybe existence, of the production.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
"It will just take the anxiousness away from every storm, every winter - even when it rains the anxiety levels are through the roof," she said.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026
“I’m sure there’s going to be some anxiousness, some nerves, that there naturally should be, until you kind of get a couple starts under your belt.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2024
He admitted a bit of anxiousness crept in as he wondered who he’d been paired with, before he spotted a clue about the identity of his mystery roommate.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 18, 2024
I started to feel that fluttery anxiousness, so I stopped thinking and tried to pay attention to the parents’ conversation.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
