Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
  • noun A cause of anxiety.
  • noun Psychiatry A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
  • noun Eager, often agitated desire.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The apprehension caused by danger, misfortune, or error; concern or solicitude respecting some event, future or uncertain; disturbance, uneasiness of mind, or care, occasioned by trouble.
  • noun In pathology, a state of restlessness and agitation, with general indisposition, and a distressing sense of oppression at the epigastrium.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Concern or solicitude respecting some thing or event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness.
  • noun Eager desire.
  • noun (Med.) A state of restlessness and agitation, often with general indisposition and a distressing sense of oppression at the epigastrium.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event.
  • noun An uneasy or distressing desire (for something).
  • noun pathology A state of restlessness and agitation, often accompanied by a distressing sense of oppression or tightness in the stomach.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune
  • noun (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

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin ānxietās, from ānxius, anxious; see anxious.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin anxietātem, from anxius ("anxious, solicitous, distressed, troubled"), from angō ("to distress, trouble").

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Examples

  • In the case of emotionally induced stress, the term anxiety will serve just as well.

    Stress and the Manager KARL ALBRECHT 1979

  • In the case of emotionally induced stress, the term anxiety will serve just as well.

    Stress and the Manager KARL ALBRECHT 1979

  • In the foregoing definitions, I have used the term anxiety more or less interchangeably with the term stress.

    Stress and the Manager KARL ALBRECHT 1979

  • In the case of emotionally induced stress, the term anxiety will serve just as well.

    Stress and the Manager KARL ALBRECHT 1979

  • In the foregoing definitions, I have used the term anxiety more or less interchangeably with the term stress.

    Stress and the Manager KARL ALBRECHT 1979

  • In the foregoing definitions, I have used the term anxiety more or less interchangeably with the term stress.

    Stress and the Manager KARL ALBRECHT 1979

  • The joy, obviously, outweighs the anxiety – by volumes it outweighs the anxiety – but the anxiety is always, always there, lurking in the dark corners and bursting into the light when I least expect it, casting shadows, imposing a chill.

    Sweating The Small Stuff - Her Bad Mother 2010

  • I'm hoping it's not sophistry to argue that this anxiety is the point.

    Blake & Virtuality: An Exchange 2005

  • I think that the deciding factor in this election will be what I call the anxiety factor.

    CNN Transcript May 25, 2004 2004

  • March 12th, 2010 at 11: 36 am dbadass says: the anxiety is growing in the subject.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: March 12, 2010 2010

  • “Insinuation anxiety” — or fear of suggesting that other people are untrustworthy — is making every drinks date or meet-up in the park feel fraught.

    Coronavirus is making us all socially awkward Rebecca Jennings 2020

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