Anxious
/ˈæŋk.ʃəs/noun
Feeling worried, uneasy, or nervous about what may happen.
Did you know?Anxious ultimately comes from Latin anxius, tied to angere, meaning “to choke” or “to squeeze,” which is the same ancient root behind words like anger and anguish.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*angʰ-
“To choke, squeeze, or press tight.”
Latin
Latin
angere
“To choke, strangle, or press tight.”
Latin
Latin
anxius
“Troubled, distressed, full of anxiety.”
Late Latin
Latin
anxietātem
“Distress, uneasiness, anxiety.”
Old French
Old French
anxieux
“Anxious, troubled, uneasy.”
Middle English
English
anxious
“Full of anxiety; uneasy or worried.”