ANXIOUS Synonyms: 186 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

anxious

adjective

ˈaŋ(k)-shəs

Definition of anxious next

as in worried

feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty was anxious about the play tryouts scheduled for the following day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in excited

showing urgent desire or interest I'm anxious for my birthday party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Parents often feel anxious to ensure that their children, moving into adulthood, do not become destructive forces in society, Mr. Rothschild added. —

Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 Beyond those under mandatory evacuation, many more, including many families and anxious pet owners, have left because of poor air quality or general wariness of the county’s precarious state. —

Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025 Interview Crush on the Cross: An Interview with Anthony Oliveira Jason Kirk The author of Dayspring discusses queerness, Christianity, and the anxious sense that history is over. —

Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 10 Jan. 2025 My first example involves my pretending to be a worried employee who is feeling anxious about RTO. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for anxious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious

Adjective

In the meantime, state and city health departments are worried about how the communications pause might affect their communities.

— Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
A number of men and women on Mitchell’s team were worried about their health and safety, the lawsuit says, so Mitchell raised the issue during the training sessions.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025