Definition of anxiousnext
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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 For the kids anxious to play in the cooler pines and aspen, the drive down and then up the Salt River Canyon’s switchbacks could be interminable. Rebecca 'becca' Dyer, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026 This is especially the case with the Department of War (DoW), which is increasingly anxious about potential high-end conflict scenarios in other theatres like the Pacific, The War Zone (TWZ) reports. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026 Her family is among the approximately 61,000 essential TSA employees who are anxious to see how quickly they can be paid after a six-week congressional stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security has forced them to work without pay. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026 But the Europeans throwing the party were anxious. Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
  • Her advice to anyone who is worried about giant hogweed is to take steps to identify it.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
  • So, should human artists be worried?
    Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • That neighbor also raised concerns about security, saying fewer on-site resources and changes in how calls are handled have left some people feeling uneasy.
    Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • As the war in Iran stretches into a fifth week, investors who had been hopeful for a quick resolution are growing increasingly uneasy about the real-world fallout from the conflict.
    Tanaya Macheel, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • White is excited about his future, and plans to perform at this year's Minnesota State Fair.
    Tony Peterson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • But the nail in the coffin for her family was the bike course, which her niece was most excited for.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Who isn’t nervous meeting the prospective in-laws for the first time?
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Jason Bateman delivers the mundane analogy like a pro, blending sincerity and uncertainty inside his singular, nervous vocal rhythms.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Most disturbing, the largest net loss of IRS filers continues to be among young adults.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
  • So, yes, Reingold’s story identified some disturbing failures.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • But Pineda brings the matter up many times, and is eager to defend himself.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
  • With Archer’s amicable exit, the Princess of Wales is eager for the focus to be on her work rather than her outfits.
    Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
  • In the video of the altercation, which was broken into clips and cross-posted across social media platforms, Peters and the woman are hanging out when Lentz arrives, upset.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • His absence comes at a tense moment in his second term.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The park department began managing Fair Park in September, scrambling to transition and set up contracts for services like security and events after a tense split from its previous operator.
    Aria Jones, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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