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
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anxious
Staying in Television: In ‘Murderbot,’ now streaming on Apple TV+, an anxious scientist and an autonomous robot develop a workplace-trauma bond.
—
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
On June 10 at a packed auditorium in Marina Del Rey, California, the former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern (2017-2023) comforted a room full of anxious Americans by showing them what empathetic leadership looks like.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 June 2025
The overt religious symbolism continues courtesy of anxious male nurse Sam (Jaquel Spivey), who dances his way through hospital halls while offering his patients blood-red shots of Jell-O, like some perverse yet playful communion.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 June 2025
On Tires, Gerben plays Will, the anxious and unqualified son of the auto-repair chain's owner.
—EW.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
On June 10 at a packed auditorium in Marina Del Rey, California, the former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern (2017-2023) comforted a room full of anxious Americans by showing them what empathetic leadership looks like.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 June 2025
The overt religious symbolism continues courtesy of anxious male nurse Sam (Jaquel Spivey), who dances his way through hospital halls while offering his patients blood-red shots of Jell-O, like some perverse yet playful communion.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 June 2025
On Tires, Gerben plays Will, the anxious and unqualified son of the auto-repair chain's owner.
—EW.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
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And although several college refs are famous and infamous within certain fan bases and leagues, college leaders are worried about backlash toward officials going any further.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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This is perhaps the most important reason everyone should be so worried about the Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill.—
Paul Weinstein Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Edan Lui of Hong Kong boy band Mirror will also make his Korean drama debut in the new season, joining the cast in a role that pairs him in an uneasy alliance with Kim Do-gi.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
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Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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His uncle is clearly excited and expecting big things from him.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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From there, fans were excited about the existence of an unreleased song between the two Colombian stars, who confirmed their romantic relationship in 2023.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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After a decade of mayhem, property destruction, and nervous soldiers firing into a crowd, the rebellion broke into gunfire between British regulars and American militia at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
17 June 2025
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Around liberal America, these were the questions asked with a nervous laugh at dinner parties, in office small talk, on university campuses.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Content moderators are workers who remove disturbing content from social media—data which is often then used to train AI systems like ChatGPT or Facebook’s algorithms.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
19 June 2025
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That still wasn’t as disturbing as the sight of Solène washing her feet in the crew mess sink.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Psyche will be the first metallic, or M-type, asteroid visited by any spacecraft, and scientists are eager to study an object that's largely made of metals—probably iron, nickel, and perhaps some rarer elements— instead of rocky minerals.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
21 June 2025
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Their silence is not surprising—the Trump administration has been eager to punish individual colleges, especially those that speak out against administration policies.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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The heated encounter occurred outside a building, as Hannah-Kim appeared visibly upset about the situation and wanted an explanation for Kove’s actions.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2025
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Marte, who hit a solo home run in the first inning of Arizona's 4-1 win, was seen visibly upset during a pitching change in the bottom of the seventh as Lovullo put his arm around his player and consoled him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Their only hope is to get to a nearby island, a situation made harder – and much more tense – by a clever great white, noteworthy for being a real shark rather than a CGI one like most films use.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
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Over the past few weeks, Bieber has found himself at the center of increasingly tense run-ins with paparazzi.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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