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 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

When Republican lawmakers secured cuts to the United States' largest food assistance program last year, Paige Shoemaker DeMio wasn't worried about children going hungry just at home — but at school.

— Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
Mattfeld is excellent in what could easily have been a thankless role, playing Ricky with the mien of someone who is always holding it together, years of disappointment and condescension and expectation keeping her eyes worried and jaw tight.

— Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

As the video popped up on social media and the Spanish-language Facebook group Danbury Al Dia, Hernandez grew uneasy.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
In addition to Cima and her father, the film centers on Hig and Bangley (Josh Brolin), two very different men whose uneasy partnership is shaped by the harsh realities of their new world.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 28 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

The letter writer is almost 40 and nervous about living with a romantic partner for the first time.

— Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
That energy spike is reinforcing inflation worries in a bond market already nervous about America’s $40 trillion mountain of debt.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

The project follows a husband and wife who buy their dream ranch only to discover the land is alive with ancient spirits, and survival means submitting to increasingly disturbing rituals with each turn of the season.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
You might be surprised by just how disturbing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains more than 50 years later.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Adjective

Time will tell how immediate Kroenke’s impact will be, though the Angels are eager to find out.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
But lawmakers of both parties are eager to avoid another impasse and would prefer to get back to their districts to campaign before the election.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of eager

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

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“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of anxious

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Synonyms of anxious

adjective

Synonym Chooser

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

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