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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
I'm anxious for my birthday party
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anxious
Typical eldest daughter characteristics include being responsible, independent, empathic, caring, a perfectionist, stressed and anxious, the Cleveland Clinic notes.
—
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
With entry-level tech jobs shrinking as companies prioritize automation, many young people are increasingly anxious about their future job security.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans had plenty of reason to be anxious about their team's injury report on Thursday, especially with questions surrounding quarterback Baker Mayfield.
—Josh Buckhalter, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
For example, if a child looks anxious or avoids eye contact with a sad character, the AI could gently slow down the story, provide encouraging prompts or reduce the emotional intensity of the scene.
—Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
With entry-level tech jobs shrinking as companies prioritize automation, many young people are increasingly anxious about their future job security.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans had plenty of reason to be anxious about their team's injury report on Thursday, especially with questions surrounding quarterback Baker Mayfield.
—Josh Buckhalter, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
For example, if a child looks anxious or avoids eye contact with a sad character, the AI could gently slow down the story, provide encouraging prompts or reduce the emotional intensity of the scene.
—Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
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But farmers are worried that time is quickly running out to reach a deal in time to sell any of this year’s crop to their biggest customer.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
5 Oct. 2025
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The worried mom immediately booked a flight from Virginia to Colorado, which was an agonizing trip.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Jones is particularly excited about the opportunities for personalization.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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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
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But as the departure date neared and the plane tickets hadn’t arrived, Pérez got nervous.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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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
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The private messages offer a disturbing glimpse into how Jones — who is looking to oust incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares this fall — describes his political adversaries in private conversations.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Oct. 2025
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There were masks and body suits made of female skin, along with human skulls for soup bowls and other disturbing oddities.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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Those numbers might flip if Mizzou springs the home upset.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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