adjective

• 1Feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.

  ‘she was extremely anxious about her exams’

  More example sentences

  • ‘an anxious look’
  • ‘There is actually another group of people who are much more anxious about the outcome than any of the above.’
  • ‘Now they are also edgy, anxious, fearful, often depressed and undeniably kinder.’
  • ‘His anxious relatives are desperate for reassurance that he is safe.’
  • ‘Those who are sensitive, nervous and anxious, with a reserved nature, are prone.’
  • ‘My mother appeared to have been gone a long time and my brothers and I were anxious waiting her return.’
  • ‘She is becoming nervous and anxious but there are still four people in front of her.’
  • ‘The big turning point for me was when I was taking my finals and I felt so anxious and nervous.’
  • ‘She looked anxious, as if waiting for the bell to toll so that she could bolt from the classroom.’
  • ‘She was nervous and excited and anxious and hundreds of other things all at once.’
  • ‘Instead of getting ready for bed, she returned to the chair in which she had sat, anxious, waiting for her twin to wake up.’
  • ‘Johnny appears disappointed to see him, but generally nervous and anxious as well.’
  • ‘Some may be anxious and nervous or may develop behaviours to avoid stimuli that remind them of past experiences.’
  • ‘He seemed distressed and anxious but refused an offer to speak to someone else.’
  • ‘It's different in new company - I start to get anxious and worry what they are thinking.’
  • ‘They are done to scare people and to frighten them, to make them anxious and worried.’
  • ‘It was unacceptable that anxious patients should wait for hours in crowded accident and emergency departments.’
  • ‘The small courtyard is also crowded with anxious relatives and concerned neighbours.’
  • ‘The long wait was over on Tuesday as anxious teenagers across Orkney began receiving exam results.’
  • ‘My biggest personality flaw was catching up to me as I began to feel anxious and worried.’
  • ‘How many times, when you hear of an approaching storm, do you get worried or anxious?’

  Synonyms

  worried, concerned, apprehensive, fearful, uneasy, ill at ease, perturbed, troubled, disquieted, bothered, disturbed, distressed, fretful, fretting, agitated, in a state of agitation, nervous, in a state of nerves, edgy, on edge, tense, overwrought, worked up, keyed up, strung out, jumpy, afraid, worried sick, with one's stomach in knots, with one's heart in one's mouth, on pins and needles, stressed, under stress, in suspense, flurried

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  1. 1.1attributive (of a situation or period of time) causing or characterized by worry or nervousness.
     ‘there were some anxious moments’
     More example sentences

     • ‘We had a bit of an anxious moment while we looked for the area, only to happily discover it was just north of our turnoff to the east.’
     • ‘However her supporters had some anxious moments before they collected their winnings.’
     • ‘They began stringing the ball about in a confident fashion not witnessed during the anxious moments late last year.’
     • ‘Residents have many anxious moments and it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.’
     • ‘The next round of anxious moments will come when the engineering admission rank list is released.’
     • ‘He says that while choosing a career, both students and parents will have anxious moments.’
     • ‘It has also been a very anxious day for those who are trying to stop that recall election.’
     • ‘In fact they gave their true blue supporters who travelled some very anxious moments.’
     • ‘We repeat our thanks to counsel for their most helpful submissions in this very anxious case.’
     • ‘But I can also remember that situation as such an emotional and anxious time.’
     • ‘Parents began arriving at the school within an hour of the accident and many had an anxious wait to hear if their children were hurt.’
     • ‘Today his family told the Daily Echo about their anxious wait for news.’
     • ‘In the meantime, the family are facing an anxious wait for the next contact with their sister.’
     • ‘Generations will remember the long, anxious waits for the jab to save them from the deadly smallpox virus.’
     • ‘All the work and the anxious wait culminated in the final results today.’
     • ‘Householders faced an anxious wait to see if their homes would be flooded.’
     • ‘They faced an anxious wait to find out whether any of the orchid had survived.’
     • ‘Then came an anxious wait for these times to be compared with the others before.’
     • ‘Meanwhile, with the independent schools application results due out any day, parents face an anxious wait.’
     • ‘I would imagine his recovery process has been a long and anxious wait for them.’
     Synonyms

     nerve-racking, stressful, anxious, worrying, concerning, fraught, charged, strained, nail-biting, worrisome, difficult, uneasy, uncomfortable

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• 2Very eager or concerned to do something or for something to happen.

  ‘the company was anxious to avoid any trouble’

  More example sentences

  • ‘my parents were anxious that I get an education’
  • ‘You can't look up anymore, only down at the ground, anxious to avoid a similar encounter.’
  • ‘Both are anxious to avoid a house price and consumer spending crash.’
  • ‘As children, when my brother Bob and I were anxious to avoid doing our homework, we'd fly round to her house.’
  • ‘The council is anxious to avoid British government interference in the project as it could delay it further.’
  • ‘The three parties are anxious to avoid political turmoil to keep local government stability in the town.’
  • ‘Universities themselves seem anxious to avoid misrepresentation in this area.’
  • ‘What we are most anxious to avoid, however, is that that becomes a superstructure.’
  • ‘At that point, the government backed down, anxious to avoid further diplomatic damage.’
  • ‘She prefers independent travel and is anxious to avoid busy resorts fulls of couples and families.’
  • ‘Individuals anxious to avoid making a capital loss sell for a lower price than they would otherwise do.’
  • ‘He is anxious to avoid having them added to a portfolio as an exclusively commercial asset.’
  • ‘He said they were anxious to promote the development of the concert hall.’
  • ‘Grim-faced shepherds swing heavy cudgels, anxious to be clear of the road where horns blare impatiently.’
  • ‘And above all a population keen, eager, anxious even to embrace their visitors.’
  • ‘Nevertheless, when he did play there was no keener performer on the field, nor one more anxious to do well for his side.’
  • ‘There was evidence that he was anxious to give up work because of concerns about his health.’
  • ‘I was anxious to do something with my son that was honest, that revealed both of us.’
  • ‘The question is are we going to exhaust those options, we're not anxious to do that.’
  • ‘His relatives are anxious that this decision and the incident are not repeated.’
  • ‘The Social Services are anxious that women in such situations should know that help is available.’

  Synonyms

  eager, keen, desirous, impatient, itching, longing, yearning, aching, dying

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