plural anxieties
1
: fear or nervousness about what might happen
feelings of anger and anxiety
She suffers from chronic/acute anxiety.
He suffers from test anxiety. [=excessive fear about taking tests]
He's been feeling a lot of anxiety about/over his new job.
—usually pluralmodern anxieties about terrorism
She discussed her anxieties with her sister.
2
: a feeling of wanting to do something very much
She has always had an anxiety to succeed. [=she has always been anxious to succeed]
Cite this Entry
“Anxiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/anxiety. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.
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