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Synonym Chooser

How is the word anxious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of anxious are athirst, avid, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

When would athirst be a good substitute for anxious?

Although the words athirst and anxious have much in common, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

How do avid and eager relate to one another, in the sense of anxious?

Avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

When is eager a more appropriate choice than anxious?

The synonyms eager and anxious are sometimes interchangeable, but eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

Where would keen be a reasonable alternative to anxious?

While the synonyms keen and anxious are close in meaning, keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

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 Despite that, the year 2025 might just be the perfect moment for No Other Choice to meet a suitably anxious and economically pressed worldwide moviegoing public. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025 An adult cat known for her aloof and anxious nature has delighted thousands of viewers on social media after forming an unexpected bond with a playful kitten, transforming her behavior and winning over hearts on the platform. Personal Finance, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 The suspect was visibly anxious during that interview, according to the complaint. Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 Every person with a uterus is going to undergo menopause at some point, so there’s no need to feel ashamed or anxious about it. Katherine Speller, Flow Space, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
  • During a ten-minute break, Heidi was worried.
    Joe Garcia, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Midwest The Upper Midwest is the only area that has some potential for minor travel delays, but the Farmer’s Almanac isn’t too worried.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With losses come uneasy fan bases, and with uneasy fan bases come edgy owners with itchy fingers, and with edgy owners and itchy fingers come coaches on hot seats.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
  • As their schemes spiral, father and son are forced into an uneasy alliance to save the family from total implosion.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Jones is particularly excited about the opportunities for personalization.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • But while countless fans couldn’t be more excited for Bad Bunny’s showcase, other people — including the president of the United States — aren’t as keen that a primarily Spanish-speaking artist got the gig.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But as the departure date neared and the plane tickets hadn’t arrived, Pérez got nervous.
    Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Children usually accompany the players onto the pitch, wide-eyed youngsters in pristine kits, looking nervous and staring up in awe at Harry Kane or Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • White, who works as a bartender in Malibu, said the connection was especially disturbing, FOX 11 reported.
    Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The allegations against this individual are disturbing and completely contrary to the values and mission of this department.
    Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • To carry out her vision, McMahon has brought on at least 20 political appointees from ultraconservative think tanks and advocacy groups eager to de-emphasize public schools, which have educated students for roughly 200 years.
    Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Following the splashy release of Sora 2, Musk — a founder of OpenAI who left the board in 2018 and has since become a fierce critic of the company and Altman — appeared particularly eager to plug his competitor product.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Gannon was upset after Demercado dropped the football before crossing the goal line on what should have been a 72-yard touchdown that would have put Arizona up 28-6 early in the fourth quarter.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Those numbers might flip if Mizzou springs the home upset.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Just as demented and tense, but drunk on the confidence of youth and the arrogance to believe that talent and charm is enough.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
  • California’s 'sanctuary' policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration agencies, further complicate enforcement efforts, creating a tense and often publicized standoff between federal officers and local communities.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on anxious

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