anxiety
noun
anx·i·ety
aŋ-ˈzī-ə-tē 
plural anxieties
1
a(1)
: apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill : a state of being anxious
More Buddhist uprisings in South Vietnam in the spring of 1966 intensified my anxiety.—
Robert S. McNamara
Robert S. McNamaraI felt my anxiety rise as we pressed deeper underground.—Jon Krakauer
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
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
Susan Ochshorn
c
: a strong desire sometimes mixed with doubt, fear, or uneasiness
… his anxiety to succeed and his continued nervousness over the possible bankruptcy of his shoe company caused her to lecture him about relaxing and caring for his health.—William Drake
William Drake… present a gamble that consumers, in their anxiety to make an affordable deal, do not always appreciate.—Stephen Koepp
Stephen Koepp2
: a cause of anxiety
… citizens stressed by gnawing economic and social anxieties.—Michael Pertschuk
Michael PertschukExamples 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
In short, our time anxiety is costing us our health.
—Arianna Huffington, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Quasi-forensic in its precision, the work is based on thousands of satellite images—an expression of anxiety about Black history’s precarity.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Robotic system overcomes key technical challenges If implemented at large scale, the system could help tackle range anxiety for EVs.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Norton’s father said the Pippins provide the visual icon to fight the stigma that is attached to the conversation around anxiety, depression, and mental health.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxiety
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Arianna Huffington, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Quasi-forensic in its precision, the work is based on thousands of satellite images—an expression of anxiety about Black history’s precarity.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Robotic system overcomes key technical challenges If implemented at large scale, the system could help tackle range anxiety for EVs.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Norton’s father said the Pippins provide the visual icon to fight the stigma that is attached to the conversation around anxiety, depression, and mental health.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxiety
Cite this Entry
“Anxiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anxiety. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Susan Ochshorn, Parenting2
: 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
Charisse Jones, The New York TimesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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