Definition

1. Noun:
   • A state of uneasiness or worry: "Anxiety" refers to a feeling of nervousness, worry, or fear, often about something with an uncertain outcome.
   • A clinical condition: In psychology and psychiatry, "anxiety" denotes a more persistent and intense state of worry or fear that can be a symptom of various mental health disorders.

Usage and Examples

• General feeling of worry:
  • She felt a lot of anxiety before her job interview.
  • The constant anxiety about his health was exhausting.
• Clinical or intense state:
  • He was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
  • The medication helps to manage her chronic anxiety.

Advanced Usage

• "Anxiety of influence": A literary theory term describing the fear that an artist's work is too derivative of a predecessor's.
  • The poet's work shows a clear anxiety of influence from the Romantic era.
• "Free-floating anxiety": A general, persistent feeling of apprehension not linked to a specific cause.
  • She suffered from free-floating anxiety, a constant sense of dread she couldn't explain.

Variants and Related Words

• Anxious (adj): Feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease.
  • He was anxious about the test results.
• Anxiously (adv): In a manner that shows worry or nervousness.
  • She waited anxiously for the news.

Synonyms

• Worry: A state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems.
• Apprehension: Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.
• Unease: A feeling of discomfort or worry.

Antonyms

• Calmness: The state of being free from agitation or strong emotion.
• Serenity: The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "To be on tenterhooks": In a state of anxious suspense or agitation.
  • The whole team was on tenterhooks waiting for the final decision.
• "A bundle of nerves": Someone who is extremely nervous or anxious.
  • Before going on stage, she was a bundle of nerves.

Noun

1. a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune
2. (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