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Synonym Chooser

How is the word anxiety distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of anxiety are care, concern, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

Where would care be a reasonable alternative to anxiety?

The meanings of care and anxiety largely overlap; however, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When would concern be a good substitute for anxiety?

The words concern and anxiety can be used in similar contexts, but concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When is it sensible to use solicitude instead of anxiety?

The synonyms solicitude and anxiety are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When might worry be a better fit than anxiety?

The words worry and anxiety are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of anxiety Common feelings after more than one miscarriage include grief, anxiety, shame, and even guilt. Melissa Willets, Parents, 29 Mar. 2025 Despite the fact that a majority of range ovens have them, these drawers can be a source of mystery, and even anxiety, for many people. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025 Olson acknowledged that he is prescribed Trazodone, an anti-depressant, and Clonazepam for anxiety. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025 Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns. Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anxiety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anxiety
Noun
  • Adolescence escalates all these issues and fears to their most horrifying symbolic end.
    Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The spread of antivaccine misinformation in the previous year had caused fear and uncertainty, which kept many families from vaccinating their children against measles.
    Dr. Josh Green, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Southeast Side resident Anne Holcomb emphasized a sense of urgency as worries grow in her community about the environmental impacts of a PsiQuantum computing facility that will be built in the area.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Inflation, tariff worries drive consumers' outlooks to lowest levels in 12 years What are tariffs?
    Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Pivot smarter, not just faster Not all pivots are smart; some are just panic moves.
    Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The sight of strangers or unexpected knocks on the door trigger panic and tears, out of fear that death will follow.
    Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This can lead to an excess of sugar in the blood that, over time, can lead to a variety of health conditions and concerns.
    Alysse Dalessandro, Health, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Their offices were among 20 across the county that received letters last week from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expressing concern that their hiring practices actively recruiting minorities and women amount to reverse discrimination.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Our familiar route turned into an obstacle course of dread, and every step toward the school building sent him deeper into a panicked spiral.
    Elizabeth Austin, Time, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Once the innie enters the room, it is forced to engage in an activity which coincides with things Gemma fears (going to the dentist, airplane turbulence) or dreads (writing thank-you cards).
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The event itself has become a subject of unease among journalists and others who question the optics of the press mingling with high-profile government officials at a swanky soiree.
    Theresa Braine, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The dismissal is a surprise given the timing, but multiple league sources expected Memphis to make changes this offseason due to growing discontent between Jenkins and the players, unease among his assistants, and differing visions between Jenkins and the front office on how to play.
    Kelly Iko, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anxiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anxiety. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.

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