anxiously

anxiously — adverb

1. doing something while feeling fear or unease, often because you are afraid of a

1.副詞B2
釋義

doing something while feeling fear or unease, often because you are afraid of a bad result.

例句

Anaya paced anxiously outside the operating room while her father had heart surgery.

anxiously + verb of physical movement showing worry

The parents waited anxiously by the phone for news from the rescue team.

wait anxiously for + news/result

同義詞
  • nervously

    very close in meaning; emphasises shaky body signs

  • uneasily

    milder; suggests a vague sense of something wrong

  • fretfully

    less common; suggests visible irritation along with worry

反義詞

文法句型

anxiously + verb of looking/waiting/asking

用法筆記

Often pairs with verbs of looking, waiting, or speaking (wait, watch, glance, ask, whisper). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense centres on fear of a bad outcome, not desire for a good one.

常見錯誤

❌I anxiously enjoyed the party.
✅I waited anxiously for the party to end.
💡'anxiously' goes with worry, not with positive emotions like enjoyment.

2. with strong impatient desire to have or do something soon.

2.副詞B2
釋義

with strong impatient desire to have or do something soon.

例句

Fans anxiously awaited the announcement of the band's new tour dates.

anxiously await + noun of desired event

The children leaned forward anxiously to grab the first slice of birthday cake.

anxiously + to-infinitive of eager action

同義詞
  • eagerly

    neutral or positive; lacks the slight edge of unease

  • keenly

    more formal; suggests sharp interest

  • impatiently

    stresses unwillingness to wait

反義詞

文法句型

anxiously + to-infinitive

anxiously await + noun

用法筆記

Frequently appears with 'await', 'hope', or a to-infinitive of an action the speaker wants to do. Distinguish from sense 1 (WORRIED): here the feeling is hopeful impatience, not fear, though a faint edge of worry that the wish may not happen often remains.

常見錯誤

❌He anxiously enjoyed his coffee on the balcony.
✅He anxiously waited for his coffee to cool down.
💡sense 2 needs a future event the subject is impatient for, not an ongoing pleasure.