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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anxious
But no matter the distance between sandwich generation caregivers and their aging parents, many adult children are anxious about their parents' care and safety.
—
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
The internal monologue is perhaps the more obvious choice for paranoid fiction, but by writing in dialogue, Dorfman puts us in the place of the listener with an ear pressed to a closed door, overhearing the anxious voices.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Insecure leaders—whether anxious or avoidant—are more common in organizations than most people acknowledge.
—Dritjon Gruda, Harvard Business Review, 5 Feb. 2026
Drivers anxious to pay their tickets right away were unable to because clerks couldn’t yet match their payment with violations.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
The internal monologue is perhaps the more obvious choice for paranoid fiction, but by writing in dialogue, Dorfman puts us in the place of the listener with an ear pressed to a closed door, overhearing the anxious voices.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Insecure leaders—whether anxious or avoidant—are more common in organizations than most people acknowledge.
—Dritjon Gruda, Harvard Business Review, 5 Feb. 2026
Drivers anxious to pay their tickets right away were unable to because clerks couldn’t yet match their payment with violations.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
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Capital expenditures, which are closely watched by investors who are worried about overspending, are expected to range between $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
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But Willie Brown, the former mayor and speaker was not worried that Newsom would overly burnish his own story in his book.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Stage’s version translates the already uneasy feelings of hearing acid house reduced to happy-go-lucky plastic into something out of an actual acid trip.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Feb. 2026
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Bashar is on the left, his body slightly angled away, his face uneasy.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So, there are all sorts of fun details and influences here and everybody at Eintracht Frankfurt sounds incredibly excited about where the appointment may lead.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — during the halftime show, to a family excited to witness their son play in one of the biggest games of his career, here's a quick breakdown of those moments.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Kansas sophomore guard Jamari McDowell actually didn’t have time to get nervous — or overthink his role — after learning freshman sensation Darryn Peterson would miss Monday’s game against Arizona because of flu-like symptoms.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
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Investors would understandably be nervous when both the CFO and the general counsel depart, according to Shivaram Rajgopal, an accounting professor at Columbia Business School.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But the extent of our housing affordability crisis is more disturbing than ever before.—
Margi Glavovic Nothard,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
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Beginning with a montage of news footage from the day — the notorious May 1985 European Cup final between Italian club Juventus and English rivals Liverpool — the film’s open text informs viewers, or rather warns them, that disturbing historical images may follow.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Thousands of fans huddled against the cold during one election rally in Tokyo last week, all eager for a glimpse of Takaichi.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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This is one of the Tex-Mex restaurants that has welcomed celebrities eager to try traditional Texas dishes.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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SpaceX said on its launch page that residents in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties might experience one or more sonic booms during the launch, a phenomenon that has long upset residents and raised concerns about the booms’ effect on nearby endangered species.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Littler added that his girlfriend would often get upset when her father talked about owning a gun.—
Saul Pink,
San Antonio Express-News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Rather than trying to defuse a tense situation, officers abruptly used physical or chemical force.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
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If true, this likely suggests a very tense intercept scenario, perhaps even shadowing or escorting away from Chinese airspace.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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