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Synonym Chooser

How is the word anxious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of anxious are athirst, avid, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

When would athirst be a good substitute for anxious?

Although the words athirst and anxious have much in common, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

How do avid and eager relate to one another, in the sense of anxious?

Avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

When is eager a more appropriate choice than anxious?

The synonyms eager and anxious are sometimes interchangeable, but eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

Where would keen be a reasonable alternative to anxious?

While the synonyms keen and anxious are close in meaning, keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

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 Where chronic stress can leave you feeling depleted, anxious, and burnt out, good stress comes with energy, strength, and even creativity. Calin Van Paris, Outside Online, 15 Apr. 2025 But today that view was clouded by a sea of anxious bodies. Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 The partnership with the federal government comes as a growing number of FIU students are becoming anxious amid reports of international students being detained, deported and having their visas revoked. Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025 Friday, a government report showed that the U.S. labor market held up better than expected in March despite the federal government’s layoffs, the crackdown on immigrants, and surveys showing that consumers and businesses are increasingly anxious about the economy. Josh Fellman, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
  • Others are worried about the fate of the Smithsonian more broadly.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • An overwhelming 92 percent are worried about a potential recession in 2025.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Consumer sentiment and expectations Americans are feeling uneasy about the economy, and that is showing up in the data.
    Russ Wiles, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Still, Ruark is increasingly uneasy about the future.
    Catherine Baab, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • His new kick-change has been a nice weapon against lefties and Taillon is excited about the pitch.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Kolache fans headed to Florida's Gulf Coast shouldn't get too excited yet, though.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At the same time, sellers might get nervous if deal activity slows down.
    James Nelson, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • At times brutal and always volatile, the album functions as a sort of electro-shock therapy applied from the shoulders down, layering hard beats, ambient whorls, and nervous acid ticks to trigger a state of full-body rapture.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In cases where advertising is inevitable, some prefer ads that appeal on a personal level over messaging that can be inappropriate or, even, disturbing and offensive.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Ghosts that wink could be scary but the face Sal makes is disturbing in other ways.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But Hilton could be eager for a showdown with Harris.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • In many parts of the world, the radical belief in popular sovereignty undid the hold of the notion of the divine right of kings, just as expanding commerce created a wealthy merchant class eager for greater political say.
    Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Gannon informed Nolen that Johnson was a little upset with falling into the second round.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • In medical settings, it's used to treat poisoning, overdoses, high cholesterol, hangovers, and upset stomach.
    Ashley Wong, Health, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Once tense and apprehensive, Mateo is later shown basking in the sun and running along the sand with other dogs in the care of his rescuer.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Erceg, 29, is known for putting out fires — tense situations in which the opposing team is threatening to score.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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