anxious

adjective

anx·​ious ˈaŋ(k)-shəs 

1

: characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency : worried

anxious parents

2

: characterized by, resulting from, or causing anxiety : worrying

They spent an anxious night.

3

: ardently or earnestly wishing

She was anxious to learn more.

anxiously adverb

anxiousness noun

Did you know?

Can anxious Be Used as a Synonym for eager?

The fact that individual words can have multiple senses that are closely related in meaning is something which many people find objectionable about the English language. Anxious is an example of such a word, as people will use it to mean "worried," "eager (but with an undertone of worry)," and simply "eager."

The word has been used in the sense of "eager" for a considerable length of time, with evidence going back at least to the 17th century.

Synonyms

• worried
• nervous
• upset
• uneasy
• apprehensive
• troubled

Choose the Right Synonym for anxious

eager, avid, keen, anxious, athirst mean moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest.

eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

Examples of anxious in a Sentence

… to the eye anxious for reform in the city and forgetful of conditions in the countryside … —Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000

He was exhausted yet exhilarated, anxious … about getting on the ice with a team that had a chance to win. —Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 20 Mar. 2000

The individual states—fearful of losing industry and richer residents to lower-tax rivals and anxious to minimize their burden of needy citizens … —Atlantic, May 1997

He was so anxious to get a fly into the water that he had to reproach himself for haste. —John Cheever, The Wapshot Chronicle, 1957

She feels anxious and depressed.

People are anxious about the future.

He was anxious that the weather would not improve in time for the party.

We experienced a few anxious moments as we waited to hear the results of the test.

It was an anxious night as she waited for her children to come home.

He was waiting at the door with an anxious expression on his face.

He was anxious for more news.

Recent Examples on the Web

Someone who feels anxious and has difficulty falling asleep may fit the pattern of LC1. —Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025

The younger woman smiling coyly, as if with a secret, while the older of the two, still young herself, anxious and polite, looks at the strange columns in the kitchen, trying not to be rude about it. —Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025

At the same time, completely terrified and anxious. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025

Yair's release in February 2025 brought relief to the family, but left them deeply anxious for Eitan. —Itay Stern, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin anxius "worried, disturbed, uneasy, marked by or inducing anxiety or distress" (adjective derivative from the base of angere "to choke, cause pain to, afflict, vex") + -ous — more at anger entry 1

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

anxious

adjective

anx·​ious ˈaŋ(k)-shəs 

1

: afraid or nervous about what may happen : worried

anxious about their son's health

2

: desiring earnestly

anxious to make good

anxiously adverb

anxiousness noun

Medical Definition

anxious

adjective

anx·​ious ˈaŋ(k)-shəs 

1

: characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency

anxious students

2

: characterized by, resulting from, or causing anxiety

an anxious time in the hospital waiting room