ANXIETIES Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'anxiety' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of anxiety are care , concern , solicitude , and worry . While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure. // plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

Q: Where would 'care' be a reasonable alternative to 'anxiety'?

The meanings of care and anxiety largely overlap; however, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension. // a face worn by years of care

Q: When would 'concern' be a good substitute for 'anxiety'?

The words concern and anxiety can be used in similar contexts, but concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection. // crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

Q: When is it sensible to use 'solicitude' instead of 'anxiety'?

The synonyms solicitude and anxiety are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another. // acted with typical maternal solicitude

Q: When might 'worry' be a better fit than 'anxiety'?

The words worry and anxiety are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety. // financial worries

anxiety

noun

aŋ-ˈzī-ə-tē

Definition of anxiety

as in fear

an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble Dorothy's anxiety about her brother's operation kept her awake all night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dread

the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger the newly discovered virus is creating considerable anxiety in the public at large

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How is the word anxiety distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of anxiety are care, concern, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

Where would care be a reasonable alternative to anxiety?

The meanings of care and anxiety largely overlap; however, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When would concern be a good substitute for anxiety?

The words concern and anxiety can be used in similar contexts, but concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When is it sensible to use solicitude instead of anxiety?

The synonyms solicitude and anxiety are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When might worry be a better fit than anxiety?

The words worry and anxiety are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

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 anxiety Mackinder’s land-power anxiety was compounded less than a decade later by the development of airpower. — Gerard Toal, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 Aside from spreading fear and anxiety through the agricultural labor force — which might be the point, if the hope is many will self-deport — the surge is having some other bizarre and probably unintended consequences. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The fear has become so common that clinicians now have screening tools to assess and treat people with anxiety over mass violence. — Jillian Turanovic, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 And once again, she’s mired in a blend of cautious excitement and raw anxiety. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anxiety

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxiety

Noun

The White House decision has heightened fears that Ukraine could be left exposed to Moscow's escalating attacks as winter approaches.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
That a self-image forged in the crucible of the fear of being ugly makes women amputate their talents?

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of fear

Noun

Patients complete an online survey covering their skin concerns, history, current routine and goals, which is reviewed by a clinician licensed in their state.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
YouTube Dividing Lines Drawn The inseparable relationship between YouTube and TV was clear for all to see at MIPCOM Cannes but serious concerns from the latter remain.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

Long before the shooting, every school drop-off carried a quiet dread.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
With homes nearly toppling into the ocean and back-to-back floods and hurricanes amplifying our sense of dread, keeping track of all things El Niño can be overwhelming.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of dread

Noun

Melanie Lawrence, a 68-year-old independent, worries about wells going dry in her area near Willcox, where the groundwater grew so depleted that the land started to crack.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
In an interview earlier this fall with NPR, Los Angeles County's top voting official, Dean Logan, alluded to those worries.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of worry

Noun

Phobos and Deimos take their names from the Greek mythological personifications of fear and terror, sons of the war god Ares, whose Roman counterpart is Mars.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Founded in 2015 by Thomas Brag, Matt Dajer, Ammar Kandil and Derin Emre, the group gained traction through their videos about travel, adventure and, in the wake of terror attacks in Beirut and Paris, inclusivity.

— Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of terror

Noun

When the line between general unease with not knowing crosses into anxiety that interferes with daily life, people should seek professional help, said Dugas.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Beyond elevated yield levels, the widening spread between French and German benchmark sovereign bonds reflects growing investor unease over France's fiscal trajectory and debt servicing capacity.

— , CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of unease

Noun

But not everyone wants to be up close and personal the with the IRL frights of a haunted house or spooky corn maze.

— Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026
Hunt for Ghosts If fright-seeing is more your style, Amelia’s Galena Ghost Tours and several other businesses lead spooky visits to pubs, cemeteries, and other public spaces after dark.

— Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fright

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antsy

anxiety

anxious

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“Anxiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxiety. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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