anxiousness

American  

[angk-shuhs-nis, ang-] / ˈæŋk ʃəs nɪs, ˈæŋ- /

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

Etymology

Origin of anxiousness

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

Example Sentences

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

“This position change, things should alleviate some — I don’t want to say pressure — but just whatever anxiousness he might have had,” said manager Dave Roberts to reporters about Lux.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2024

On the other hand, their anxiousness scores were 13 per cent higher when standing in a busy downtown location for the same length of time.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2024

Add to that his anxiousness as to whether she would come.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor