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
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
Eager, but unsupported Gen Z approaches AI with both enthusiasm and anxiousness.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
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
Eager, but unsupported Gen Z approaches AI with both enthusiasm and anxiousness.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxiousness
Noun
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Tobacco parallels The Los Angeles trial centers on allegations made by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, and her mother that four social media giants intentionally designed addictive platforms that hooked her as a child and led to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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The lurch from confidence to anxiety has been a key reason Villa have not held their nerve in some supposedly easier fixtures.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That puts the fear of God into him.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
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The Showtime Lakers faced those fears and overcame them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors said county staffers raised concerns about the organization with their supervisors.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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The members of the council understand that the disarray wrought by Clark’s departure and the lingering concerns about Meyer could be exploited by the owners during bargaining sessions.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its stock has been under pressure because of worries that competitors powered by artificial intelligence technology could upend its industry and take away customers.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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But the new study—along with previous research—reiterates that worries of weight gain with mango consumption aren’t substantiated.—
Lauren Manaker MS,
Health,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As each skated and waited for their scores to post, the crowd tittered with nervous unease.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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And at that point, ushered into the floating mists of non-consensus with murmurings of political unease regarding content or intellectual befuddlement regarding style, the briefly sighted, singular beast of language vanishes from the visible landscape.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anxiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxiousness. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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