anxious
Use Anxious in a sentence
ʃəs, ˈæŋ- adjective
1.
full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous: Her parents were anxious about her poor health.
2.
earnestly desirous; eager (usually followed by an infinitive or for ): anxious to please; anxious for our happiness.
3.
attended with or showing solicitude or uneasiness: anxious forebodings.
Origin:
1615–25; < Latin anxius worried, distressed, derivative of angere to strangle, pain, distress; cf. anguish, -ous
1615–25; < Latin anxius worried, distressed, derivative of angere to strangle, pain, distress; cf. anguish, -ous
Related forms
anx·ious·ly, adverb
anx·ious·ness, noun
qua·si-anx·ious, adjective
qua·si-anx·ious·ly, adverb
un·anx·ious, adjective
Synonyms
1. concerned, disturbed, apprehensive, fearful, uneasy.
1. concerned, disturbed, apprehensive, fearful, uneasy.
Antonyms
1. calm, confident. 2. reluctant, hesitant.
1. calm, confident. 2. reluctant, hesitant.
Usage note
The earliest sense of anxious (in the 17th century) was “troubled” or “worried”: We are still anxious for the safety of our dear sons in battle. Its meaning “earnestly desirous, eager” arose in the mid-18th century: We are anxious to see our new grandson. Some insist that anxious must always convey a sense of distress or worry and object to its use in the sense of “eager,” but such use is fully standard.
The earliest sense of anxious (in the 17th century) was “troubled” or “worried”: We are still anxious for the safety of our dear sons in battle. Its meaning “earnestly desirous, eager” arose in the mid-18th century: We are anxious to see our new grandson. Some insist that anxious must always convey a sense of distress or worry and object to its use in the sense of “eager,” but such use is fully standard.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To anxious
00:10
Anxious
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
anxious (ˈæŋkʃəs, ˈæŋʃəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | worried and tense because of possible misfortune, danger, etc; uneasy |
| 2. | fraught with or causing anxiety; worrying; distressing: an anxious time |
| 3. | intensely desirous; eager: anxious for promotion |
| [C17: from Latin anxius; related to Latin angere to torment; see | |
| 'anxiously | |
| —adv | |
| 'anxiousness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
anxious
1620s, from L. anxius "solicitous, uneasy, troubled in mind," from ang(u)ere "choke, cause distress" (see anger). The same image is in Serbo-Croatian tjeskoba "anxiety," lit. "tightness, narrowness."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Tense and anxious, he always carried a penknife and smoked hashish and pot with great frequency.
Some people may become anxious when inside the scanner.
All this make me anxious to know more about this university.
The current stage of anxious anticipation is still an early one.
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