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Synonym Chooser

How is the word anxiety distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of anxiety are care, concern, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

Where would care be a reasonable alternative to anxiety?

The meanings of care and anxiety largely overlap; however, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When would concern be a good substitute for anxiety?

The words concern and anxiety can be used in similar contexts, but concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When is it sensible to use solicitude instead of anxiety?

The synonyms solicitude and anxiety are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When might worry be a better fit than anxiety?

The words worry and anxiety are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anxiety The major cause of anxiety and trauma among immigrants and exiles is the damage to their internal reference frames. Ha Jin july 28, Literary Hub, 28 July 2025 While plenty of anxiety remains in Hollywood about the implications of AI for the creative community, an increasing number of players are looking to develop AI projects and systems. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 28 July 2025 However, there is a misconception that CRPS is a mental rather than physical illness, and women who seek care for CRPS symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed with mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety. Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 28 July 2025 Others may experience signs of social anxiety—and the tricky part is figuring out the difference. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for anxiety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxiety
Noun
  • My why can be summed up in three things: fear, respect and the pursuit of greatness.
    Rob Maaddi, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Rachel Greer, a realtor, described her homeowner client's fear to leave her front door after learning about Robinson's murder.
    Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Together with folklore professor Yeom Hae-sang (Oh Jung-se), San-yeong comes to understand both her own grief and the trauma death leaves behind as Revenant embraces the quiet, brooding dread that makes Korean horror genuinely unnerving.
    Geoffrey Bunting, Time, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Tim’s family trauma, while prompting some delightfully repulsive SFX, seems to exist only for that reason, or to give the film an additional whiff of dread.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • Panicked finds Maron returning to familiar subjects, treating them like beloved worry dolls of comedic setups.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Some lawmakers have said worries over U.S. stockpiles running low don't justify cutting off Ukraine's weapons.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • While this may seem obvious, logic often falls apart during moments of panic.
    Amy Shoenthal, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • The scary moment was met by immense panic among passengers.
    Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 27 July 2025
Noun
  • In seconds, content appears without shipping or physical storage concerns.
    Vikrant Shaurya, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Privacy and security concerns with smart thermostats These programs also raise important data privacy concerns.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • Dave Bautista gives a quietly mesmerizing performance as Leonard—a hulking figure whose soft-spoken gentleness only heightens the unease—joined by a scruffily unnerving Rupert Grint and wrenching turns from Ben Aldridge and Jonathan Groff as the parents.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025
  • Yet my unease must be a tiny fraction of that of men from either side on the ground that night.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Noun
  • Sami Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor who is associated with the Gaza Tribunal, admitted to conspiring to aid the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in 2006.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
  • Pearl, who is Jewish, has expressed his fervent support for Israel in the face of rising antisemitism in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Well, consider that, unlike what’s happening in the world at large, the frights and delights inside Viola’s Room are actually fun.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 June 2025
  • Ah well, Cesare already has two sequel novels published, so there’s already plenty more Frendo the Clown frights ready to be harvested.
    Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anxiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxiety. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on anxiety

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