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

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 Being anxious or nervous about this big step in your career is very normal. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 This generation is lonelier, more anxious and more depressed than any before it. — Tom Suozzi, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Super teams share prompts openly, coached by leaders who use the tools themselves, which leaves them markedly less anxious about AI displacing their jobs. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Don’t overlook the familiar things that can help calm an anxious animal. — Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anxious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious

Adjective

It’s mainly centered on Billie, who is worried about an old Facebook post standing in the way of finding a job.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
The Middle East has long worried about its dependence on the United States and has thus been diversifying its partnerships since the Arab Spring, in 2011.

— Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

Kurt's key takeaways Hearing AI on a 911 call would make a lot of people uneasy.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Falwell correctly sensed vulnerability in the uneasy alliance between rationalism and Christianity that had prevailed since the eighteenth-century Enlightenment.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Adjective

On the opposite sideline, Trimble Tech Head Coach MK Hamilton entered the season with a more experienced roster and was excited about the leadership his veteran players bring.

— Riley Ledesma, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
The Atlanta native is excited to carry his dreams and the family name forward.

— PJ Green August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

Nvidia's forecast comes at a time when investors remain nervous about capital expenditures from large tech companies, the circular nature of financing deals and the return from AI investments.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Why bats can pose a rabies risk Rabies spreads through the saliva or nervous tissue of an infected mammal, usually through a bite.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

Last awards season, the gossip around town, salacious and disturbing in equal measure, was that hotel suites all over Hollywood were populated by tailors taking in gowns coming straight off the runway.

— Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
The disturbing situation came to light after a tree fell on the home during a storm.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Adjective

Netflix has worked assiduously to burnish its reputation as a home for advertisers seeking to align themselves with its popular programs and eager to avoid the traditional model of deploying typical 30-second commercials.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars invested into their respective football teams by eager boosters, both SMU and Texas Tech have jumped ahead of everyone else in this state for the best view of UT and A&M’s backsides.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

Common signs that your dog may be sensitive to something in their food can include frequent scratching, paw licking, gas, loose stools, occasional digestive upset, or changes in coat quality.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
The thinking is that orbital data centers can leapfrog past some of the ground-level issues such as where to build them, and upset communities that don’t want to host data centers, despite their municipalities making deals for construction.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of upset

Adjective

After hours of argument that at times grew tense, a hearing Thursday ended without a ruling from Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis, and the Tates were returned to jail.

— Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
In Danbury, protesters have had tense confrontations with ICE officers, who responded at least once with pepper spray, according to activists.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of tense

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

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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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