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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 anyone who's feeling stuck and anxious, and is looking for new hobbies to explore, Ferriss recommends starting with something easy — like seeking out a local game night, or finding a chess partner. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 25 June 2025 Gunter, who speaks to Queen nearly every day, said the 20-year-old is anxious to find his next home. Sam Jane, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2025 In the show’s first three episodes, the editing moves faster and faster along three separate narratives as the runtime reaches its end, raising the stakes while making the audience anxious for the next cut. Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 23 June 2025 In the Bay Area, restaurant owners and industry groups are anxious and bracing for possible impact on their workers and businesses. Calmatters, Mercury News, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
  • But even in a Congress filled with newcomers, the memory of 2018 (and its electoral fallout for a beleaguered GOP) should be fresh enough to keep people worried.
    Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • As Republicans work to pass President Donald Trump's reconciliation bill by his July 4 deadline, many are worried about the changes that could be coming to Medicaid.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Edan Lui of Hong Kong boy band Mirror will also make his Korean drama debut in the new season, joining the cast in a role that pairs him in an uneasy alliance with Kim Do-gi.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025
  • Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.
    Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • In the comment section, fans were excited to see an intimate piece of her life.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • According to recent research from the global consumer research platform, GWI, 60% of consumers are excited for the further development of AI tools.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • But with Wirtz, there was suddenly an effort not to do that; the media got nervous about calling it a record.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • Watching his son evolve from a 4-star recruit out of Columbus High School in Miami to an eventual first-round pick out of Michigan State, Richardson doesn’t get too nervous or overly excited when Jase is on the court.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • In demand filmmaker Kim Tae-joon, who wrote and directed the disturbing tech thriller Unlocked for the streamer, is back with another feature that is sure to linger with its audience.
    Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
  • Many of these videos follow a disturbing but familiar pattern—the extraction and erasure of Black women’s genius, creativity, and contributions.
    Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Comprised mostly of phishing, but also malware, threats, the domains in question have been created by cybercriminals seeking to benefit from the high media profile of Prime Day and the anticipated flood of consumers eager to grab a bargain.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • The family were eager Catholics: his mother, a school librarian, sang in the choir, as did young Robert.
    Belinda Luscombe, Time, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The heated encounter occurred outside a building, as Hannah-Kim appeared visibly upset about the situation and wanted an explanation for Kove’s actions.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025
  • In what many pundits considered an upset, Tordillos eventually overcame a slight deficit on election night to overtake Matthew Quevedo, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s deputy chief of staff, by six votes.
    Devan Patel, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Negotiations on this year’s New York City government budget are coming down to the wire — with several sticking points remaining as talks turned tense Thursday between City Council Democrats and Mayor Adams’ administration, according to sources familiar with the matter.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
  • At the core of Athens’ defense spending motivations is its tense and fractious relationship with fellow NATO ally Turkey.
    Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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