What does anxiously mean?
'Anxiously' is an adverb describing actions performed with worry, nervousness, or uneasy anticipation. Someone who waits anxiously is gripped by concern about an outcome they cannot control, while someone who watches anxiously is monitoring events with visible tension. The word also carries a secondary, milder sense of eager longing, as when fans 'anxiously await' a new release — here the emotion shades from fear into keen desire, and context determines which reading applies. Derived from 'anxious', which ultimately traces to the Latin angere ('to choke' or 'to squeeze'), the word preserves an old physical metaphor: anxiety as a constriction in the throat or chest. It pairs naturally with verbs of waiting, watching, pacing, and awaiting, making it indispensable for conveying tense anticipation in narrative and everyday speech alike. Neutral in register, it suits both formal writing and casual conversation.
adverbIn a manner marked by worry, unease, or nervous anticipation. Also, in an eager or keenly desirous way (e.g. 'anxiously awaiting news').
- With worry, nervousness, or apprehension: 'he waited anxiously for the test results'.
- With eagerness or keen desire: 'fans anxiously awaited the sequel's release'.
"She paced the hallway anxiously as the surgery stretched into its fourth hour."
"The parents waited anxiously outside the exam hall."
"Investors watched the markets anxiously after the overnight announcement."
The word 'anxiously' shares its ancient root with 'anger' — both trace back to the Latin angere, meaning to choke or squeeze, which is why anxiety has always felt like a tightening in the throat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anxiously
'Anxiously' derives from 'anxious', borrowed into English from the Latin anxius, meaning troubled or distressed. Anxius itself comes from the verb angere, 'to choke or squeeze', which also gave English 'anger', 'anguish', and 'angle' (in its original sense of a hook). The adverb formed with the common '-ly' suffix and has been in use since at least the early modern period, retaining both its original sense of worried distress and a later sense of eager anticipation.
Related word forms
How anxiously is actually used
'Anxiously' is neutral in register, appearing in both formal journalism and everyday speech. Its second sense (eager anticipation) is increasingly common in phrases like 'anxiously awaiting', though some style guides prefer reserving it for genuine worry; context usually makes the intended meaning clear.
Easily confused with anxiously
'Eagerly' conveys enthusiastic desire for something positive, whereas 'anxiously' carries an undercurrent of worry or fear — though in the sense 'anxiously awaiting', the two can overlap.
Despite a similar opening sound and shared distant root, 'angrily' means with anger or rage, while 'anxiously' means with worry or nervous anticipation.