Meaning & use

anxiously

adverb·Academic

In a way that shows nervousness, worry, or eager unease about what might happen.

See it in a sentence

She anxiously checked her phone every few minutes, waiting for the results.

The dog paced anxiously by the door, waiting for its owner to return.

A note on using this word

Anxiously can describe worried unease or, less commonly, eager anticipation, as in anxiously awaiting good news, where the tension is hopeful rather than fearful.

Words with a similar meaning

nervouslyapprehensively

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

Words with an opposite meaning

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