1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was anxious about the play tryouts scheduled for the following day
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
I'm anxious for my birthday party
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anxious
As we are told by the official logline for the episode (which airs on ABC at 10/9c), Caterina Scorsone’s on-screen counterpart undertakes an extremely risky procedure on a young patient — whose anxious mother is played by Yellowstone alum Piper Perabo.
—
Charlie Mason, TVLine, 27 Apr. 2025
Martin said her son became extremely anxious, pulling threads out of his clothes and peeling paint off walls.
—Sudhin Thanawala and Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The merger process has rattled CBS News, as Redstone, Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder, is said to be anxious to close the transaction.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
How to know when your dog is agitated Identifying an anxious or aggressive dog can be tricky, as negative and positive emotional indicators can often be confused.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Charlie Mason, TVLine, 27 Apr. 2025
Martin said her son became extremely anxious, pulling threads out of his clothes and peeling paint off walls.
—Sudhin Thanawala and Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The merger process has rattled CBS News, as Redstone, Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder, is said to be anxious to close the transaction.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
How to know when your dog is agitated Identifying an anxious or aggressive dog can be tricky, as negative and positive emotional indicators can often be confused.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
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Investors had also been worried about the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs that are prompting businesses to rein in spending.—
Deborah Sophia and Aditya Soni,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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My client is worried about losing benefits, which is not a reason to worry.—
Diane Omdahl,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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These chewy ginger candies are her secret weapon for taming an uneasy stomach naturally.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2025
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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
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And for toddlers who aren’t always amendable to sitting down at the dinner table, anything that might help them get excited about mealtimes is going to be a win for parents, too.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
2 May 2025
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Asked about plans for a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said Thursday that no final decisions have been made. Col. Dave Butler, another Army spokesman, added that the Army is excited about the plans for its anniversary.—
Lolita C. Baldor,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Dellow was nervous about rush hour traffic, but the Uber dropped Nikishin off at 6:45 p.m. at the airport.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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Your younger colleague is nervous about each conversation.—
Jay Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The lack of caring about my childhood was so disturbing.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2025
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Furthermore, there is often an undercurrent of mysticism surrounding the egg, with birth and death at the center—a dualism as true as it is sometimes disturbing.—
Irene Coltrinari,
Vogue,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With deep pockets and thousands of eager worshippers hanging on their every word each Sunday, what does their church garb look like?—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
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But unlike in the cases of Depp or Simpson, eager trial watchers will have to rely on courtroom sketches and reporter dispatches from inside, as cameras have been shut out of the proceedings.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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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 15 May. 2025.
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