Meaning & use

anxious

adjective·Everyday

Feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.

See it in a sentence

She felt anxious waiting for the doctor to call with her test results.

He was anxious to hear whether he had gotten the promotion.

A note on using this word

Anxious can mean worried, but it can also mean eagerly wanting something, as in 'anxious to please.'

Words with a similar meaning

nervousworried

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

calmrelaxed

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “anxious”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.