anxiety

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

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.

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /ˌæŋ(ɡ)ˈzaɪ.ə.ti/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪɪti

Noun

[edit]

anxiety (countable and uncountable, plural anxieties)

  1. An unpleasant state of mental uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession or concern about some uncertain event.
    • 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 4, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
      The inquest on keeper Davidson was duly held, and at the commencement seemed likely to cause Tony Palliser less anxiety than he had expected.
    • 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 268a:
      But the other, because he's been immersed in arguments, gives the appearance of harbouring considerable anxiety and suspicion that he's ignorant of those matters he presents himself to others as an expert on.
  2. An uneasy or distressing desire (for something).
  3. (pathology) A state of restlessness and agitation, often accompanied by a distressing sense of oppression or tightness in the stomach.

Synonyms

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]
[edit]

Translations

[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.


Further reading

[edit]