anxiously

UK: ˈæŋkʃəsli | US: ˈæŋkʃəsli

Definition

  1. adv. in a manner showing worry or nervousness

  2. adv. with eagerness or intense desire

Structure
anxious <worried>ly <adverb suffix>
Etymology

The word "anxiously" derives from the Latin root anxius (meaning "troubled, uneasy"), which itself comes from angere ("to choke, torment"). The suffix -ly is an Old English adverbial marker, turning the adjective "anxious" into an adverb. Over time, "anxious" evolved to describe both distress and eager anticipation, with "anxiously" reflecting both nuances.

Examples

  1. She waited anxiously for the test results.

  2. He paced anxiously around the room before the interview.

  3. The dog whined anxiously during the thunderstorm.

  4. They looked anxiously at the darkening sky.

  5. The child clung anxiously to his mother in the crowded mall.