anxiety.

Worrying apprehension about an uncertain outcome or possible threat.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• anxiety about the result
• rising anxiety
• alleviate anxiety

On the page

Anxiety about the test kept interrupting her conversation.

He counted the days until the verdict with mounting anxiety.

Once the missing child called, their anxiety began to ease.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Often future-oriented and sustained, unlike a sudden fright; ordinary anxiety is not automatically an anxiety disorder. Usually uncountable in this sense. Derived family (not additional inflections or records): anxious.