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

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

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

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

… 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

• agita
• agitation
• anxiousness
• apprehension
• apprehensiveness
• care
• concern
• concernment
• disquiet
• disquietude
• fear
• nervosity
• nervousness
• perturbation
• solicitude
• sweat
• unease
• uneasiness
• worry

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

That's because anxiety and sleep are closely linked. —Mark Gurarie, Health, 23 Sep. 2023

Shortly after, Fox fired its most popular personality, Tucker Carlson. Stock in Fox Corp., while positive this year, began to decline early in 2022, due in part to lawsuits and investor anxiety over the loss of viewers to smaller media outlets. —David Bauder, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023

Amid national anxiety over gun violence in schools, the incident received widespread attention, especially given the shooter’s young age. —Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

However, Yang’s team didn’t find an association between early menopause and anxiety and depression. —Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023

But Anderson's new research challenges that idea, suggesting instead that suppressing negative thoughts may in fact improve symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 21 Sep. 2023

Work environment concerns commute time, financial anxiety, and unemployment rate. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2023

Television Todd Chrisley is ‘suffering from anxiety’ amid 12-year prison sentence, attorney says Aug. 3, 2023 Todd and Julie Chrisley began their prison sentences in January. —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023

For the past two years, a sinister third wheel had joined: crippling depression and anxiety. —Gary Gulman, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2023

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

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

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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