Anxiety
//ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ.ə.ti// noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event. countable, uncountable
"generalized anxiety disorder"
- 2 a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune wordnet
- 3 An uneasy or distressing desire (for something). Endeavor (to please). countable, uncountable
- 4 (psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic wordnet
- 5 A state of restlessness and agitation, often accompanied by a distressing sense of oppression or tightness in the stomach. countable, uncountable
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- 6 Any anxiety disorder, especially generalized anxiety disorder. countable, informal, uncountable
"My anxiety is a part of me, one that I’ve had to learn to deal with."
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"The boy caused his mother great anxiety."
Etymology
From Latin anxietās, from anxius (“anxious, solicitous, distressed, troubled”), from angō (“to distress, trouble”), akin to Ancient Greek ἄγχω (ánkhō, “to choke”). Equivalent to anxious + -ety. See anger; angst.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.