anxiously

anxiously — adverb

1. doing something while feeling fear or unease, often because you are afraid of a

1.adverbB2
Definition

doing something while feeling fear or unease, often because you are afraid of a bad result.

Example

Anaya paced anxiously outside the operating room while her father had heart surgery.

anxiously + verb of physical movement showing worry

The parents waited anxiously by the phone for news from the rescue team.

wait anxiously for + news/result

Common collocations
  • wait anxiously
  • watch anxiously
  • ask anxiously
  • glance anxiously
  • pace anxiously
Synonyms
  • nervously

    very close in meaning; emphasises shaky body signs

  • uneasily

    milder; suggests a vague sense of something wrong

  • fretfully

    less common; suggests visible irritation along with worry

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

anxiously + verb of looking/waiting/asking

Usage Note

Often pairs with verbs of looking, waiting, or speaking (wait, watch, glance, ask, whisper). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense centres on fear of a bad outcome, not desire for a good one.

Common Mistakes

I anxiously enjoyed the party.
I waited anxiously for the party to end.
'anxiously' goes with worry, not with positive emotions like enjoyment.

2. with strong impatient desire to have or do something soon.

2.adverbB2
Definition

with strong impatient desire to have or do something soon.

Example

Fans anxiously awaited the announcement of the band's new tour dates.

anxiously await + noun of desired event

The children leaned forward anxiously to grab the first slice of birthday cake.

anxiously + to-infinitive of eager action

Common collocations
  • anxiously await
  • anxiously hope
  • anxiously anticipate
Synonyms
  • eagerly

    neutral or positive; lacks the slight edge of unease

  • keenly

    more formal; suggests sharp interest

  • impatiently

    stresses unwillingness to wait

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

anxiously + to-infinitive

anxiously await + noun

Usage Note

Frequently appears with 'await', 'hope', or a to-infinitive of an action the speaker wants to do. Distinguish from sense 1 (WORRIED): here the feeling is hopeful impatience, not fear, though a faint edge of worry that the wish may not happen often remains.

Common Mistakes

He anxiously enjoyed his coffee on the balcony.
He anxiously waited for his coffee to cool down.
sense 2 needs a future event the subject is impatient for, not an ongoing pleasure.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four describe doing something while feeling some kind of inner trouble, but the source of that trouble differs. 'Anxiously' centres on fear of a future bad result — you wait anxiously for news because the news might be bad. 'Nervously' focuses more on visible body signs (shaking hands, a wobbly voice) and is often used in social or performance settings, like speaking nervously before a crowd. 'Uneasily' is milder and vaguer: you shift uneasily in your seat when a subject feels wrong, even if you cannot name the reason. 'Worriedly' stays closest to a single specific concern, often visible on the face — a mother watches her child worriedly when he climbs too high. So: 'She glanced anxiously at the door' (waiting for a feared outcome) versus 'She glanced nervously at the door' (jumpy body language).

anxiously ↗nervously ↗uneasilyworriedly ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • wait anxiously
  • watch anxiously
  • anxiously await
  • look anxiously around

Prepositions

  • anxiously about
  • anxiously for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Built from the adjective 'anxious' plus the adverb ending '-ly'. 'Anxious' itself entered English in the early 1600s from Latin 'anxius', meaning troubled in mind, which came from 'angere', meaning to choke or press tightly — the same root that gave us 'anguish' and 'anger'. The image is of the chest feeling squeezed by worry. The 'eager' sense in English grew later, by extension: a strong wish for something feels almost as pressing as a fear of losing it.