anx•iousBrE /ˈæŋkʃəs/
NAmE /ˈæŋkʃəs/
adjective
word origin
early 17th cent.: from Latin anxius (from angere ‘to choke’) + -ous.
thesaurus
anxious adj.1 
He grew increasingly anxious as time went on.worried 
nervous concerned uneasy disturbed agitated unsettled bothered | formal apprehensive fearful | written troubled
anxious/worried/nervous/concerned/uneasy/disturbed/bothered/apprehensive/fearful/troubled about sth anxious/worried/nervous/concerned/disturbed/bothered/apprehensive/fearful that… a/an anxious/worried/nervous/concerned/uneasy/apprehensive/troubled look/smileAnxious, worried or nervous?Worried is the most frequent word; anxious is more formal and can describe a stronger feeling. Nervous can describe sb's personality; worried describes feelings, not personality. Anxious describes feelings or personality.2 There were a few anxious moments during the game.tense stressful strained nerve-racking/nerve-wracking worrying unsettling upsetting painful | especially BrE fraught a/an anxious/tense/stressful/worrying/unsettling/upsetting/painful/fraught time a/an anxious/tense wait3 She was anxious to put the past behind her.impatient eager | especially BrE keen anxious/impatient/eager/keen for sth anxious/impatient/eager/keen to do sth anxious/eager/keen that… 
synonyms
worriedconcerned nervous anxious uneasyThese words all describe feeling unhappy and afraid because you are thinking about unpleasant things that might happen or might have happened.
worried thinking about unpleasant things that might happen or might have happened and therefore feeling unhappy and afraid concerned worried and feeling concern about sthworried or concerned?Concerned is usually used when you are talking about a problem that affects another person, society, the world, etc, while worried can be used for this or for more personal matters. nervous feeling worried about sth or slightly afraid of sth anxious feeling worried or nervous about sthworried, nervous or anxious?Worried is the most frequent word to describe how you feel when you are thinking about a problem or something bad that might happen. Anxious can describe a stronger feeling and is more formal. Nervous is more often used to describe how you feel before you do something very important such as an exam or an interview, or something unpleasant or difficult. Nervous can describe sb's personality: a very nervous girl is often or usually nervous; a worried girl is worried on a particular occasion or about a particular thing. Worried describes her feelings, not her personality. Anxious may describe feelings or personality. uneasy feeling worried or unhappy about a particular situation, especially because you think sth bad may happen or because you are not sure that what you are doing is rightworried/concerned/nervous/anxious/uneasy about (doing) sthworried/concerned/anxious for sb/sthworried/concerned/nervous/anxious that…a(n) worried/concerned/nervous/anxious/uneasy expression/look/smileto get worried/nervous/anxious 
example bank
I'm becoming very anxious about my son.She was watching the clock and becoming increasingly anxious.Students are understandably anxious about getting work after graduation.The bus was late and Sue began to get anxious.The delays only made him more anxious.There's no need to get unduly anxious on my account.We are extremely anxious for her safety.He grew increasingly anxious as time went on.He seemed anxious to return to more familiar ground.He was anxious to finish school and get a job.I'm anxious for her to do as little as possible.She was anxious to put the past behind her/set the record straight/get the whole thing over with.There was an anxious expression on her face.There were a few anxious moments during the game. 
1 feeling worried or nervous~ (about sth) He seemed anxious about the meeting.~ (for sb) Parents are naturally anxious for their children. 2 causing anxiety; showing anxietyThere were a few anxious moments in the baseball game.an anxious look/face/expression 3 wanting sth very much~ to do sth She was anxious to finish school and get a job. He was anxious not to be misunderstood.~ for sth There are plenty of graduates anxious for work.~ for sb to do sth I'm anxious for her to do as little as possible.~ that… She was anxious that he should meet her father.
anx•ious•ly /BrE ˈæŋkʃəsli; NAmE ˈæŋkʃəsli/ adverbto ask/look/wait anxiously Residents are anxiously awaiting a decision.
