anxious
//ˈæŋkʃəs//
Forms
- Comparative
- more anxious
- Superlative
- most anxious
Definitions
1.Nervous and worried.
2.Having a feeling of anxiety or disquietude; extremely concerned, especially about something that will happen in the future or that is unknown.
- She was anxious to hear how her test results were.
- I could tell she was anxious as she was biting her nails.
- But, with United fans in celebratory mood as it appeared their team might snatch glory, they faced an anxious wait as City equalised in stoppage time.
3.Accompanied with, or causing, anxiety; worrying.
- There was an anxious wait before the results were revealed.
4.Earnestly desirous.
- He is anxious to please, so you can count on him.
- All the voters were anxious to hear the election result.
- He sneers alike at those who are anxious to preserve and at those who are eager for reform.
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4599
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Synonyms
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂enǵʰ-der.
Proto-Italic *anɣō
Latin angō
Latin ānxiusbor.
English anxious
Borrowed from Latin anxius, from angō (“to cause pain, choke”); akin to Ancient Greek ἄγχω (ánkhō, “to choke”). See anger; angst.