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 or for ): 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

Derived Forms

• ˈanxiousness, noun
• ˈanxiously, adverb

Other Words From

• anx·ious·ly adverb
• anx·ious·ness noun
• qua·si-anx·ious adjective
• un·anx·ious 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

On the other hand, if researchers shut this circuit off, breathing rates went up, and the mice became more anxious.

From Science Daily

“Don’t,” blurted her mother, Rebecca Marriott, who laughed along with everyone else, but kept sneaking anxious peeks at her watch.

From Los Angeles Times

“I could feel it when I went into my classroom,” said the professor, whose research has found that people with political anxiety aren’t necessarily anxious in general.

From Los Angeles Times

As updates trickled in, Mahama became increasingly anxious - he had heard no word from his father.

From BBC

“People who have been watching closely and feel like the race is on a knife’s edge are anxious to see this one get called,” said Paul Mitchell, whose firm Political Data, Inc. tracks voter trends.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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