anxiety
Americannoun
-
distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.
He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.
- Synonyms:
- disquiet, worry, foreboding, fear
- Antonyms:
- tranquility, serenity, certainty
-
earnest but tense desire; eagerness.
He had a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
-
Psychiatry. a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.
noun
-
a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc; worry
-
intense desire; eagerness
-
psychol a state of intense apprehension or worry often accompanied by physical symptoms such as shaking, intense feelings in the gut, etc, common in mental illness or after a very distressing experience See also angst
-
A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation.
-
◆ In psychiatry, a patient has an anxiety disorder ◆ if normal psychological functioning is disrupted or if anxiety persists without an identifiable cause.
Synonym Usage
See apprehension.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of anxiety
First recorded in 1515–25; from Latin anxietās, equivalent to anxi(us) anxious + -etās, variant of -itās before a vowel
Compare meaning
How does anxiety compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Anxiety is the vague, uneasy feeling you get when you're dreading something. Anxiety can also be a permanent state of nervousness that some people with mental illnesses experience, a milder version of panic. When a scary or unpleasant event is looming, like getting a family portrait taken the year you have braces, you might feel some anxiety. You might also feel anxiety about passing chemistry, especially if you’ve skipped a lot of classes. Someone who suffers from a mild or severe mental illness might feel anxiety all the time. Deep breathing, playing relaxing music, and medication have all been known to help reduce anxiety.
Vocabulary lists containing anxiety
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
On 21 June, he replied to a message saying he had "anxiety and maybe a little bit of post adoption depression".
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026
Europe's biggest tech trade fair Vivatech opens Wednesday in Paris for a 10th-anniversary edition where enthusiasm for generative AI will rub shoulders with anxiety about the continent's technological dependence.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
However, the probiotic group experienced somewhat greater reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety.
From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026
Contango occurs when future prices trade above prompt prices, suggesting reduced anxiety about near-term supply availability.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
“Haven’t they ever heard of separation anxiety? What is the matter with these people? I have taken care of toddlers with FAS, and they are nothing like Boo.”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
