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

• fear
• worry
• concern
• 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

Your husband’s anxiety just makes her puppet strings easier to pull. —Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 5 July 2025

But Democratic pollster John Zogby said many of the wins came at the sacrifice of some and that anxiety in America is higher than ever. —Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 5 July 2025

The study also identified an association between sleepwalking and psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025

For example, a 2019 report by Columbia University in the City of New York highlighted how boredom is associated with issues such as risky behavior, anxiety and depression. —Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 5 July 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