Standard Lemma guide

anxiety

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪti/ without t-flapping
  • [ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪthɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • /ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪɾi/ t-flapping
  • [ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • /ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪti/ without t-flapping
  • [ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪthɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • /ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪti/ without t-flapping
  • [ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪthɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • /ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪɾi/ t-flapping
  • [ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • /ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪti/ t-flapping
  • [ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯ɪɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • /ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əti/ without t-flapping
  • [ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əthɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • /ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əɾi/ t-flapping
  • [ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • /ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əti/ without t-flapping
  • [ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əthɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • /ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əti/ without t-flapping
  • [ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əthɪi̯] without t-flapping
  • /ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əɾi/ t-flapping
  • [ˌeɪ̯ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • /ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əti/ t-flapping
  • [ˌɛ̃ŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ̯əɾɪi̯] t-flapping
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪəti
  • rhymes with -aɪɪti
  • CMU ARPABET: AE0 NG Z AY1 AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • generalized anxiety disorder
  • feel anxiety
  • cause anxiety
  • She felt a wave of anxiety before the interview.
  • He suffers from social anxiety.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An uneasy or distressing desire (for something). Endeavor (to please).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A state of restlessness and agitation, often accompanied by a distressing sense of oppression or tightness in the stomach.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Any anxiety disorder, especially generalized anxiety disorder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, informal, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emotion

Narrower terms: discomfiture, discomposure, disconcertion, disconcertment, worry, trouble, concern, care, fear, anxiousness, disquiet, insecurity, edginess, uneasiness, inquietude, disquietude, sinking, sinking feeling, scruple, qualm, misgiving, jitteriness, jumpiness, nervousness, restiveness, angst

6

noun

Meaning 6

(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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: anxiousness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: psychological state, psychological condition, mental state, mental condition

Narrower terms: castration anxiety, hypochondria, hypochondriasis, overanxiety, panic, scare

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ānxietās, from ānxius (“anxious, solicitous, distressed, troubled”), from angō (“to distress, trouble”), akin to Ancient Greek ἄγχω (ánkhō, “to choke”). Equivalent to anxious + -ety. See anger; angst.

Across languages

Translations

219 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: maltrankvileco — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • Esperanto: anksio — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • Esperanto: angoro — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Unbehagen — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Nervosität — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Angst — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Ängstlichkeit — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Anspannung — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Unruhe — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: innere Unruhe — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Beklommenheit — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Furcht — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Beklemmung — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • German: Aufgeregtheit — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • Indonesian: kerisauan — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • Tamil: தவிப்பு (tavippu) — state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession
  • Arabic: قَلَق (qalaq) — concern
  • Armenian: տագնապ (tagnap) — concern
  • Azerbaijani: təşviş — concern
  • Azerbaijani: təlaş — concern
  • Azerbaijani: əndişə — concern
  • Azerbaijani: iztirab — concern
  • Azerbaijani: həyəcan — concern
  • Belarusian: неспако́й (njespakój) — concern
  • Belarusian: трыво́га (tryvóha) — concern
  • Bengali: দুশ্চিন্তা (duścinta) — concern
  • Bulgarian: трево́га (trevóga) — concern
  • Bulgarian: безпоко́йство (bezpokójstvo) — concern
  • Bulgarian: гри́жа (gríža) — concern
  • Catalan: ansietat — concern
  • Chinese Mandarin: 焦慮 /焦虑 (jiāolǜ) — concern
  • Chinese Mandarin: 担心 (dānxīn) — concern
  • Czech: úzkost — concern
  • Czech: starost — concern
  • Danish: angst — concern
  • Dutch: bezorgdheid — concern
  • Dutch: ongerustheid — concern
  • Esperanto: anksio — concern
  • Estonian: rahutus — concern
  • Estonian: ängistus — concern
  • Finnish: ahdistus — concern
  • Finnish: huoli — concern
  • Finnish: levottomuus — concern
  • Finnish: huolestuneisuus — concern
  • French: anxiété — concern
  • French: inquiétude — concern
  • Galician: ansiedade — concern
  • Galician: trogo — concern
  • Georgian: შფოთვა (špotva) — concern
  • Georgian: მღელვარება (mɣelvareba) — concern
  • Georgian: შეშფოთება (šešpoteba) — concern
  • Georgian: შიში (šiši) — concern
  • German: Besorgnis — concern
  • German: Angst — concern
  • German: Sorge — concern
  • German: Bangnis — concern
  • German: Furcht — concern
  • Greek: άγχος (ánchos) — concern
  • Greek: έγνοια (égnoia) — concern
  • Greek: ανησυχία (anisychía) — concern
  • Ancient Greek: μέριμνα (mérimna) — concern
  • Hebrew: חֲרָדָה (kharadá) — concern
  • Hindi: चिंता (cintā) — concern
  • Hindi: परेशानी (pareśānī) — concern
  • Hungarian: aggodalom — concern
  • Icelandic: kvíði — concern
  • Icelandic: órói — concern
  • Icelandic: áhyggja — concern
  • Indonesian: kekhawatiran — concern
  • Irish: imní — concern
  • Irish: sníomh — concern
  • Italian: ansia — concern
  • Italian: ansietà — concern
  • Japanese: 心配 (shinpai) — concern
  • Japanese: 不安 (fuan) — concern
  • Khmer: កង្វល់ (kɑngvɑl) — concern
  • Korean: 걱정 (geokjeong) — concern
  • Korean: 불안 (buran) — concern
  • Latin: metus — concern
  • Latin: anxietās — concern
  • Latin: sollicitudo — concern
  • Macedonian: грижа (griža) — concern
  • Macedonian: тревога (trevoga) — concern
  • Magahi: 𑂃𑂢𑂵𑂮𑂰 (anesā) — concern
  • Magahi: 𑂠𑂢𑂹𑂠 (dand) — concern
  • Magahi: 𑂤𑂱𑂍𑂱𑂩 (phikir) — concern
  • Magahi: 𑂒𑂱𑂢𑂹𑂞𑂰 (cintā) — concern
  • Māori: māihi — concern
  • Māori: enga — concern
  • Māori: mānukanuka — concern
  • Old English: angsumnes — concern
  • Iranian Persian: نِگَرانی (negarâni) — concern
  • Polish: niepokój — concern
  • Polish: trwoga — concern
  • Portuguese: angústia — concern
  • Portuguese: ansiedade — concern
  • Romanian: anxietate — concern
  • Russian: беспоко́йство (bespokójstvo) — concern
  • Russian: трево́га (trevóga) — concern
  • Sanskrit: अंहु (aṃhu) — concern
  • Scottish Gaelic: iomagain — concern
  • Serbo-Croatian: стре́пња — concern
  • Serbo-Croatian: strépnja — concern
  • Slovak: úzkosť — concern
  • Slovak: starosť — concern
  • Spanish: zozobra — concern
  • Spanish: ansiedad — concern
  • Swedish: ängslan — concern
  • Swedish: farhåga — concern
  • Swedish: oro — concern
  • Tagalog: pagkabalisa — concern
  • Tarifit: amnus — concern
  • Thai: ความวิตกกังวล (kwaam-wí-dtòk-gang-won) — concern
  • Turkish: kaygı — concern
  • Turkish: endişe — concern
  • Ottoman Turkish: اضطراب (ıztırâb) — concern
  • Ottoman Turkish: قلق (kalak) — concern
  • Ukrainian: занепоко́єння (zanepokójennja) — concern
  • Ukrainian: триво́га (tryvóha) — concern
  • Ukrainian: неспокі́й (nespokíj) — concern
  • Urdu: چِںْتا (cĩtā) — concern
  • Vietnamese: sự lo lắng — concern
  • Vietnamese: lo âu — concern
  • Welsh: gorbryder — concern
  • Welsh: pryder — concern
  • Bulgarian: си́лно жела́ние (sílno želánie) — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Catalan: ansietat — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Czech: nedočkavost — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Danish: iver — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Dutch: verlangen — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Finnish: kiihkeä halu — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Finnish: hinku — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Galician: trogo — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Galician: degoro — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Galician: xusgo — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Galician: prango — uneasy or distressing desire
  • German: Bemühen — uneasy or distressing desire
  • German: Bestreben — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Greek: επιθυμία (epithymía) — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Indonesian: kegelisahan — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Italian: ansia — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Italian: bramosia — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Korean: 열망 (yeolmang) — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Latin: metus — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Magahi: 𑂃𑂍𑂳𑂪𑂰𑂯𑂗 (akulāhaṭ) — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Portuguese: anseio — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Russian: жела́ние — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Russian: жела́ние — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Scottish Gaelic: iomagain — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Spanish: inquietud — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Swedish: iver — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Tagalog: alip-ip — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Tocharian B: īwate — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Turkish: heves — uneasy or distressing desire
  • Arabic: قَلَق (qalaq) — pathological condition
  • Arabic: اِضْطِرَاب الْقَلَق (iḍṭirāb al-qalaq) — pathological condition
  • Armenian: տագնապ (tagnap) — pathological condition
  • Armenian: տագնապայնություն (tagnapaynutʻyun) — pathological condition
  • Bengali: এজতেরাব (ejterab) — pathological condition
  • Catalan: ansietat — pathological condition
  • Czech: úzkost — pathological condition
  • Danish: angst — pathological condition
  • Dutch: angst — pathological condition
  • Dutch: vrees — pathological condition
  • Esperanto: anksio — pathological condition
  • Esperanto: angoro — pathological condition
  • Finnish: ahdistuneisuushäiriö — pathological condition
  • Finnish: ahdistus — pathological condition
  • French: anxiété — pathological condition
  • French: angoisse — pathological condition
  • Galician: ansiedade — pathological condition
  • Georgian: შფოთვა (špotva) — pathological condition
  • German: Angst — pathological condition
  • German: Angstzustände — pathological condition
  • German: Ängstlichkeit — pathological condition
  • German: Anspannung — pathological condition
  • German: Unruhe — pathological condition
  • German: innere Unruhe — pathological condition
  • German: Erregung — pathological condition
  • German: Furcht — pathological condition
  • German: Dysphorie — pathological condition
  • German: Beklemmung — pathological condition
  • German: Aufgeregtheit — pathological condition
  • German: Missstimmung — pathological condition
  • Greek: άγχος (ánchos) — pathological condition
  • Hebrew: חֲרָדָה (kharadá) — pathological condition
  • Hungarian: szorongás — pathological condition
  • Icelandic: angist — pathological condition
  • Icelandic: kvíði — pathological condition
  • Indonesian: kecemasan — pathological condition
  • Indonesian: keresahan — pathological condition
  • Italian: ansia — pathological condition
  • Khmer: ជំងឺថប់បារម្ភ (cumngɨɨ thɑp baarɑm) — pathological condition
  • Korean: 불안 (buran) — pathological condition
  • Latin: metus — pathological condition
  • Latvian: baisma — pathological condition
  • Macedonian: анксиозност (anksioznost) — pathological condition
  • Malay: keresahan — pathological condition
  • Māori: māihi — pathological condition
  • Norwegian Bokmål: angst — pathological condition
  • Iranian Persian: پَریشانی (parišâni) — pathological condition
  • Polish: lęk — pathological condition
  • Portuguese: ansiedade — pathological condition
  • Romanian: anxietate — pathological condition
  • Romanian: teamă — pathological condition
  • Russian: страх (strax) — pathological condition
  • Russian: боя́знь (bojáznʹ) — pathological condition
  • Scottish Gaelic: iomagain — pathological condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: anksioznost — pathological condition
  • Serbo-Croatian: tjeskoba — pathological condition
  • Slovene: tesnoba — pathological condition
  • Spanish: ansiedad — pathological condition
  • Swedish: ångest — pathological condition
  • Thai: ความวิตกกังวล (kwaam-wí-dtòk-gang-won) — pathological condition
  • Turkish: anksiyete — pathological condition
  • Turkish: endişe — pathological condition
  • Urdu: بے چَینی (be cainī) — pathological condition
  • Vietnamese: lo âu — pathological condition
  • Welsh: gorbryder — pathological condition
Real reading context

anxiety in complete knowledge articles

Xihe (deity) Everyday life · Accessible · 2 uses