anxiety

noun

anx·​i·​ety aŋ-ˈzī-ə-tē 

plural anxieties

1

a(1)

: apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated misfortune : a state of being anxious

… rising investor anxiety that a handful of cloud providers and big technology companies are overspending …

—Kif Leswing and Katie Bartlett

I felt my anxiety rise as we pressed deeper underground.

—Jon Krakauer

(2)

medical : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it

People can experience anxiety at any age, but teens are particularly vulnerable.

—Madeline Holcombe

b

: mentally distressing concern or interest

… the anxieties and uncertainties that hit at the start of a home improvement project.

—Lauren Phillips

c

: a strong desire sometimes mixed with doubt, fear, or uneasiness

While every generation has wanted to get parenting right, millennials' anxiety may be motivated by socioeconomics.

—Eliana Dockterman

… present a gamble that consumers, in their anxiety to make an affordable deal, do not always appreciate.

—Stephen Koepp

2

: a cause of anxiety

… citizens stressed by gnawing economic and social anxieties.

—Michael Pertschuk

Synonyms of anxiety

• fear
• concern
• worry
• unease

Choose the Right Synonym for anxiety

care, concern, solicitude, anxiety, worry mean a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this.

care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Examples of anxiety in a Sentence

feelings of anger and anxiety

She suffers from chronic anxiety.

He's been feeling a lot of anxiety about his new job.

Recent Examples on the Web

Clarke suggests asking yourself some questions that can help get to the root cause of your stress and anxiety. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025

Specifically, the study found that the teens and young adults required medical care for common mental disorders like anxiety and depression, a physical health condition, injuries and poisoning, and other physical diseases. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

This usually happens for a variety of reasons, including love biting, fear, anxiety, being a pet, frustration, rough play, social pressure, illness, or pain. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Experts say this shift from in-person rebellion to digital risk-taking may leave kids more isolated and struggling with anxiety and loneliness. —Hannah Silverman, Parents, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English anxiete, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French anxieté, borrowed from Latin anxietāt-, anxietās "apprehensive uneasiness, worry, solicitude," from anxius "worried, disturbed, anxious" + -etāt-, -etās, variant of -itāt-, -tās -ity

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing anxiety

• anxiety attack
• anxiety disorder
• anxiety neurosis
• anxiety state
• generalized anxiety disorder
• illness anxiety disorder
• separation anxiety

Rhymes for anxiety

• impiety
• propriety
• satiety
• sobriety
• society
• variety
• antianxiety
• intersociety
• contrariety
• impropriety
• inebriety
• notoriety

Kids Definition

anxiety

noun

anx·​i·​ety aŋ-ˈzī-ət-ē 

plural anxieties

1

: fear or nervousness about what might happen

2

: fearful concern or interest

anxiety to succeed

Medical Definition

anxiety

noun

anx·​i·​ety aŋ-ˈzī-ət-ē 

plural anxieties

1

a(1)

: apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill : a state of being anxious

(2)

: an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it

b

: mentally distressing concern or interest

Yet the pace of a child's progress can also be a source of anxiety for mothers and fathers.

—Susan Ochshorn, Parenting

2

: a cause of anxiety

… the younger children, faced with a new school, harder subjects and the myriad anxieties that thread childhood and adolescence …

—Charisse Jones, The New York Times