anxious
/ˈæŋkʃəs/
adjective
Common
1.adj.eagerly desirous
“anxious to see the new show at the museum”
2.adj.causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
“spent an anxious night waiting for the test results”
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anxious and nervous share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. anxious means “eagerly desirous”. nervous means “easily agitated”. nervous is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈæŋkʃəs/
1.adj.eagerly desirous
“anxious to see the new show at the museum”
2.adj.causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
“spent an anxious night waiting for the test results”
/ˈnɝvəs/
1.adj.easily agitated
“a nervous addict”
2.adj.causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
“spent an anxious night waiting for the test results”
3.adj.of or relating to the nervous system
“nervous disease”
| anxious | nervous | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈæŋkʃəs/ | /ˈnɝvəs/ |
| Said | ANGK-shuhs | NUR-vuhs |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | adjective |
| Senses | 2 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | dying | none recorded |
Full entry for anxious · Full entry for nervous · More comparisons