ANXIOUS Synonyms: 188 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

as in worried

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Zillah’s speeches have since been reworked, most notably in a 2019 production in which a Kushner-y character called Xillah debated her, framing the story with an anxious meta-narrative. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 Thomas is anxious, but with death looming, Vision finally nails the conversation he’s been practicing by investing it with real emotion, conviction, and support. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 So many of his movements strike me as carefully considered but not necessarily anxious. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 From Huntsville to Jackson to Atlanta, early confidence gave way to anxious afternoons before teams gave their home crowds a reason to exhale. — Wilton Jackson, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anxious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious

Adjective

Observers say the Student List party's policies remain vague, which has some worried about Serbia's future.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Gas prices were safely below $3 a gallon, and, if anything, the energy market was worried about a supply glut that could keep fuel prices low.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

But bond markets are already uneasy with Brazil's growing debt-to-GDP ratio, and are likely to demand an ever-higher premium if public spending rises significantly.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
The effort is backed by an uneasy alliance between the right-wing Make America Healthy Again movement and progressives, both motivated by concerns over food safety.

— Elijah Wolfson, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Adjective

We are excited by the prospect of evolving the Festival beyond what people have come to expect.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Layer in Musk's visionary nature and ability to get investors excited, and you're left with an earnings conference call that should be considered required reading for any market participant.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

That sounds appealing, especially to investors nervous about market declines.

— Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Shopkeepers boarded up windows while others opened temporarily and endured a nervous Saturday afternoon, after around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted last weekend.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

For Daughtry, who was dispatched to work the crash by his editor that day, the assignment was one of the most disturbing of his career.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
This disturbing contradiction suggests that different physical laws apply to the observer and the observed.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Adjective

A couple of days before the Ann Demeulemeester show at Paris Fashion Week, eager models are standing in the foyer of the brand’s studio in the Marais, waiting patiently with their picture in hand.

— Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
But why are these other streamers so eager to get in the creator business?

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

The tax came up in a conversation between the two after negotiations between Zuckerberg and the committee appeared to grow tense.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
In this tense political climate, Becker said, even straightforward election mistakes are magnified on social media and become the subject of conspiracy theories, making the job of local elections officials much more difficult.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of tense

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anxiety

anxious

anxiously

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Style

“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of anxious

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Synonyms of anxious

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to anxious

Can 'anxious' be used to mean 'eager'?

Cite this Entry

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