as in anxiety
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
don't be overcome with anxiousness about things that may never happen
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Recent Examples of anxiousness
There are signs to look for in potential abusive relationships, like isolation from friends and family, controlling behaviors and anxiousness.
—
Bryant Reed, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
But the roller-coaster experience added anxiousness to a landscape for Chinese students that already includes language and cultural barriers and a tight job market.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
The anxiousness over the situation also stems from the way that Skydance’s purchase of Paramount Global went down last year.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026
Once viewed as mere support cells for neurons, astrocytes are now thought to help tune brain circuits and thereby control overall brain state or mood — say, our level of alertness, anxiousness, or apathy.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026
There is also a lot of anxiousness going on in my mind.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
That polling shows that, look, voters have a bit of wince or anxiousness about older candidates.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Even so, Teller’s chatty anxiousness does contrast well with Turner’s smoldering, confident melancholy.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
It’s believed that some of her injuries were caused by the dog’s anxiousness, leading her to panic while in her crate.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Bryant Reed, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
But the roller-coaster experience added anxiousness to a landscape for Chinese students that already includes language and cultural barriers and a tight job market.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
The anxiousness over the situation also stems from the way that Skydance’s purchase of Paramount Global went down last year.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026
Once viewed as mere support cells for neurons, astrocytes are now thought to help tune brain circuits and thereby control overall brain state or mood — say, our level of alertness, anxiousness, or apathy.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026
There is also a lot of anxiousness going on in my mind.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
That polling shows that, look, voters have a bit of wince or anxiousness about older candidates.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Even so, Teller’s chatty anxiousness does contrast well with Turner’s smoldering, confident melancholy.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
It’s believed that some of her injuries were caused by the dog’s anxiousness, leading her to panic while in her crate.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxiousness
Noun
-
But the following year, as the pandemic wore on and crime rates ticked up, the politics of criminal justice in the city shifted toward law-and-order anxiety, even as new waves of COVID infection struck the jails.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
War rumbles on Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Those fears have eased somewhat in recent months as some Democratic candidates advance from the pack.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Your co-parent is managing treatment, uncertainty and the very real fear of how this will affect his relationship with his daughter.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
While there have been no reports of illness, authorities urge people to contact a health care provider for any concerns.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the HHS, which oversees the FDA, said the studies were pulled over concerns about their conclusions.—
Padmanabhan Ananthan,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
At the macro scale of society, loss of control seems like a legitimate reason for worry.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.—
Rachel Keidan,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Meloni, weakened by a recent referendum defeat and facing public unease over the conflict, has insisted that any use of Italian bases for offensive operations would require parliamentary backing.—
Giada Zampano,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Brent was trading above $100 a barrel on Friday, while shipping and insurance markets continue signaling deep unease despite periodic ceasefire headlines.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anxiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxiousness. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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