# anxious

Pronunciation: say "ANGK-shuhs" US /ˈæŋ(k).ʃəs/, UK /ˈæŋ(k)ʃəs/

## Adjective

1. Feeling nervous and worried.
   - Simple: Feeling worried and nervous.
   - _He grew anxious when his phone rang late at night._
   - _The unfamiliar noises in the old house made her anxious all evening._
2. Feeling deep unease and extreme concern, especially about something in the future or something unknown.
   - Simple: Very worried about something that might happen later or that you do not know about.
   - _Parents are often anxious about how their children will cope away from home._
   - _The crew became anxious as the storm closed in and the radio fell silent._
3. Earnestly wanting something; keenly eager to do or obtain it.
   - Simple: Wanting to do or have something very much.
   - _The new recruits were anxious to prove themselves on their first assignment._
   - _She was anxious for a chance to present her idea to the board._
4. Filled with or causing anxiety; describing a time or situation that is worrying.
   - Simple: Full of worry, or making people worry.
   - _The hours before the surgery were the most anxious of her life._
   - _An anxious silence settled over the courtroom as the jury filed back in._

## Origin

Borrowed from Latin anxius, from angō ("to cause pain, choke"), and akin to the Ancient Greek ánkhō ("to choke"); it is related to "anger" and "angst."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/anxious (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).