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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 anxious
Now that the current school year — her third with this particular family — is drawing to a close, the OP is anxious about her financial situation.
—
Erin Clack, People.com, 31 May 2025
The business owners who depend on migrant work — many of them supporters of President Trump — feel anxious about the prospect of losing a crucial labor force.
—Ana Ley, New York Times, 30 May 2025
As state and federal Medicaid cuts loom, Hoosiers are anxious about the impact
Jordan Musenbrock, 35, said Medicaid helped pay for her manual wheelchair and its repairs, shower chair, catheters and several medications.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
In the novel’s historical re-creation, is there an anxious note to Americans now losing themselves in accommodation?
—David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Erin Clack, People.com, 31 May 2025
The business owners who depend on migrant work — many of them supporters of President Trump — feel anxious about the prospect of losing a crucial labor force.
—Ana Ley, New York Times, 30 May 2025
As state and federal Medicaid cuts loom, Hoosiers are anxious about the impact
Jordan Musenbrock, 35, said Medicaid helped pay for her manual wheelchair and its repairs, shower chair, catheters and several medications.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
In the novel’s historical re-creation, is there an anxious note to Americans now losing themselves in accommodation?
—David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
-
Georgia, too, is worried about Ginny's behind-the-scenes machinations.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
-
The freemium search engine Kagi isn't worried about having the most comprehensive index.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some are bigger than others: economic uncertainty, changing customer behaviors, personal isolation, leadership burnout, marketing crisis, brand reputation, uneasy board members, investor expectations, consumer confidence, health issues and family challenges.—
Nancy Padberg,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
-
But Musk’s rebuke has energized fiscal hawks in the Senate who were already uneasy with the legislation’s scope.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
That had Vidovic excited about placing this team at the top of the state’s history list.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
-
Kids might be excited about the end of the school year and for summer to begin, but many working parents who don’t know how to fill their kids’ long summer days may be feeling some dread right about now.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
The video highlighted how visibly nervous Jessie was while using jokes to get through the show.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
-
In a video played on Thursday's episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Hamill is shown giving his opening monologue declaring his love for film when a nervous expression crosses his face.—
Mekishana Pierre Updated,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The withdrawn teen obsessively draws dark spiders in class and shows a disturbing fixation on news reports of school shootings.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 June 2025
-
His disturbing legacy drew the attention of filmmaker and former HBO executive Kary Antholis, who had followed the case for decades.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Lively Feud: Lively Shares ‘Gratitude’ On Instagram After Baldoni’s Lawsuit Is Dismissed Globally, employees are eager to learn.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Everyone is eager to beat the crowds to the afterparties, held at legendary venues like MoMA, the Carlyle, Tavern on the Green and Pebble Bar.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Lynx suffered a shocking upset against the surging Seattle Storm, who are out to prove themselves as one of the top teams.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
-
During the interview, Alford also acknowledged that he'd been upset with Talley, complaining that both his roommates treated him like a child instead of a man.—
John Lynch,
Arkansas Online,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
But recently, her videos detailing her tense, hours-long encounter with Customs at MIA went viral.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
-
The lunch came at a tense time for the family as Patterson's relationship with her estranged husband had been deteriorating.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share