1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was anxious about the play tryouts scheduled for the following day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the whole crowd seemed to make an anxious gasp as the home team almost fumbled the ball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
I'm anxious for my birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anxious
Before the current pause, the federal court ruling upholding the Congressional ban of TikTok in the U.S. prompted a tidal wave of anxious memes and videos by creators and users fearing the end was near.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 May 2025
Executives and filmmakers who make their living in the Middle East are also anxious about what the tariffs could mean for their business.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 5 May 2025
At the apartment, the younger kids pulled the books from each others’ hands, anxious to look through them.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2025
Some of that shift has occurred due to the volatility in the bond market, which investors have long relied on for income, but where action in Treasury yields has made advisors and investors anxious about investing in anything but ultra-short term bonds (roughly 60% of all bond ETF flows this year).
—Meredith Mutter, CNBC, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 May 2025
Executives and filmmakers who make their living in the Middle East are also anxious about what the tariffs could mean for their business.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 5 May 2025
At the apartment, the younger kids pulled the books from each others’ hands, anxious to look through them.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 5 May 2025
Some of that shift has occurred due to the volatility in the bond market, which investors have long relied on for income, but where action in Treasury yields has made advisors and investors anxious about investing in anything but ultra-short term bonds (roughly 60% of all bond ETF flows this year).
—Meredith Mutter, CNBC, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
-
Elsewhere in the episode, Torre reported that Belichick’s family members are among those who are worried about his relationship with Hudson, which was first made public last June.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
13 May 2025
-
Nearly two-thirds (63%) are worried about global warming and 37% are not.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
These chewy ginger candies are her secret weapon for taming an uneasy stomach naturally.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2025
-
The Wall Street firm predicted that international institutional investors could be rethinking their appetite and risk-reward in U.S. investments as the current uneasy macroenvironment keeps them on edge.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Key Background Leo was born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, and his election as pontiff drew excited responses from Vance and President Donald Trump, who both wished him success in his role leading the Catholic Church.—
Molly Bohannon,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
-
The nerves turned into excited butterflies as my wave kicked off.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Trump administration became increasingly nervous at the prospect of a major war erupting in one of the most populous places on the planet.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2025
-
A little nervous at first, Harry does well calling the boat in.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.—
Kevin Sabet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
-
Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Like Sánchez, many Chicago-area Catholics are making the nearly 4,000-mile pilgrimage to the Vatican to witness the inauguration Mass and other papal events this month, eager to celebrate one of their own rising to become Catholicism’s spiritual leader.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2025
-
Sometimes the person accepting the soft promotion is eager to move up the ladder.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Ruiz earned 7% of the vote, enough for Bill Brophy, Democrat Richard Alatorre’s Republican opponent, to pull off a stunning upset.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
-
While Pelkey may have spent his final moments upset, his AI likeness struck a conciliatory tone in court last week.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
The arrival of a little orphan girl challenges their sense of solidarity in a tense social climate, revealing both their fragility and strength.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
11 May 2025
-
Parents raising kids alongside friends told me about tense debates—such as whether to let kids play with toy guns and whether adults should leave alcohol out in common spaces—as well as routine disagreements about how to share caregiving duties and household space.—
Rhaina Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share