adjective
1 experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome: she was extremely anxious about her exams.
• [ attrib. ] (of a period of time or situation) causing or characterized by worry or nervousness: there were some anxious moments.
2 [ usu with infinitive ] wanting something very much, typically with a feeling of unease: the company was anxious to avoid any trouble | [ with clause ] : my parents were anxious that I get an education.
DERIVATIVES
anxiously adverb,
anxiousness noun
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin anxius (from angere ‘to choke’) + -ous.
usage: Anxious and eager both mean ‘looking forward to something,’ but they have different connotations. Eager suggests enthusiasm about something, a positive outlook: I'm eager to get started on my vacation. Anxious implies worry about something: I'm anxious to get started before it rains.
Taken from the New Oxford American Dictionary
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