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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 As we are told by the official logline for the episode (which airs on ABC at 10/9c), Caterina Scorsone’s on-screen counterpart undertakes an extremely risky procedure on a young patient — whose anxious mother is played by Yellowstone alum Piper Perabo. Charlie Mason, TVLine, 27 Apr. 2025 Martin said her son became extremely anxious, pulling threads out of his clothes and peeling paint off walls. Sudhin Thanawala and Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025 The merger process has rattled CBS News, as Redstone, Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder, is said to be anxious to close the transaction. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025 How to know when your dog is agitated Identifying an anxious or aggressive dog can be tricky, as negative and positive emotional indicators can often be confused. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anxious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxious
Adjective
  • Investors had also been worried about the fallout from sweeping U.S. tariffs that are prompting businesses to rein in spending.
    Deborah Sophia and Aditya Soni, USA Today, 1 May 2025
  • My client is worried about losing benefits, which is not a reason to worry.
    Diane Omdahl, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Consumer sentiment and expectations Americans are feeling uneasy about the economy, and that is showing up in the data.
    Russ Wiles, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Markets have been turbulent ever since as trade policy uncertainty leaves investors uneasy.
    Chris DiLella, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Asked about plans for a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said Thursday that no final decisions have been made. Col. Dave Butler, another Army spokesman, added that the Army is excited about the plans for its anniversary.
    Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
  • And for toddlers who aren’t always amendable to sitting down at the dinner table, anything that might help them get excited about mealtimes is going to be a win for parents, too.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Dellow was nervous about rush hour traffic, but the Uber dropped Nikishin off at 6:45 p.m. at the airport.
    Peter Baugh, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • Your younger colleague is nervous about each conversation.
    Jay Sullivan, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The lack of caring about my childhood was so disturbing.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Furthermore, there is often an undercurrent of mysticism surrounding the egg, with birth and death at the center—a dualism as true as it is sometimes disturbing.
    Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But Hilton could be eager for a showdown with Harris.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Taylor, a charming extrovert who can make anyone feel comfortable, is eager to help Avery find new friends and learn to flirt with women.
    Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Gannon informed Nolen that Johnson was a little upset with falling into the second round.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • In medical settings, it's used to treat poisoning, overdoses, high cholesterol, hangovers, and upset stomach.
    Ashley Wong, Health, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • They are characterized by tense exchanges, audience ejections and, in one case, stun guns deployed to subdue two attendees.
    Averi Harper, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • At one point, he's shown punching a wooden door, and his relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt, seems tense.
    Lauren Huff, EW.com, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anxious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxious. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

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