Synonyms of anxious

anxious

adjective

ˈaŋ(k)-shəs 

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

• worried
• nervous
• upset
• uneasy
• apprehensive
• troubled
• hesitant
• concerned
• tense
• bothered
• perturbed
• uptight
• disturbed
• jittery
• ill at ease
• jumpy
• flustered
• insecure
• antsy
• queasy
• unquiet
• distraught
• obsessed
• on pins and needles
• preoccupied
• goosey
• freaked
• restless
• on edge
• nervy
• on tenterhooks
• dithery
• edgy
• het up
• distressed
• aggrieved
• disquieted
• aflutter
• fretful
• hinky
• atwitter
• vexed
• keyed up
• hung up
• foreboding
• fretting
• freaked-out
• shook-up
• unnerved
• fidgety
• misgiving
• unstrung
• high-strung
• qualmish
• fluttery
• undone
• stewing
• qualmy
• spooky
• skittish
• flighty
• twittered
• hypertense

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• calm
• collected
• relaxed
• cool
• sure
• confident
• nerveless
• happy-go-lucky
• controlled
• self-assured
• self-confident
• self-controlled

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

• uneasy
• nervous
• disturbing
• tense
• restless
• unsettling
• distressful
• creepy
• unnerving
• distressing
• agitating
• worrisome
• fraught
• disquieting
• embarrassing
• hairy
• nerve-racking
• troublesome
• strained
• nail-biting
• awkward
• discouraging
• bothersome
• foreboding
• disheartening
• restive
• misgiving
• unrestful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• comfortable
• quiet
• peaceful
• tranquil
• calming
• restful
• quieting
• pacific

3

as in excited

showing urgent desire or interest

I'm anxious for my birthday party

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excited
• eager
• enthusiastic
• avid
• keen
• hungry
• impatient
• ardent
• happy
• desirous
• pumped
• antsy
• enthused
• interested
• solicitous
• thirsty
• ready
• greedy
• nuts
• voracious
• stoked
• crazy
• agog
• gung ho
• great
• geeked
• willing
• raring
• juiced
• wild
• athirst
• bonkers
• chomping at the bit
• hopped-up
• champing at the bit
• engaged
• hot
• hepped up
• obsessed
• longing
• gaga
• glad
• ambitious
• restless
• covetous
• craving
• restive
• breathless
• pining
• inclined
• amenable
• hankering
• disposed
• appetent
• game
• hung up
• unreluctant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• indifferent
• apathetic
• unenthusiastic
• unconcerned
• uninterested
• disinterested
• casual
• nonchalant
• aloof
• detached
• incurious
• reluctant
• insouciant
• unwilling
• hesitant
• impassive
• uneager
• stolid
• lukewarm
• loath
• lackadaisical
• languid
• averse
• spiritless
• halfhearted
• languorous
• disinclined

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

Recent Examples of anxious

In 2024, European regulators, driven in part by voters anxious about online disinformation and polarization inflamed by social media, passed the world’s most comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence and digital technologies. —Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026

Displacement in Mecklenburg County Winston wasn’t the only one anxious about why her team didn’t encounter more people. —Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026

Instead of seeing improvement after the prescription of each medication, the suit describes a downward spiral for Lindsay who initially sought treatment after becoming anxious when Patrick returned to work following the birth of their third child and she was left at home with her three kids. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026

With under four minutes left, Oswego extended its lead to 55-45, only to be followed by anxious moments. —Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026