anxiety

anxiety — 名詞

1. an unpleasant feeling of being nervous and unable to relax, because you are worr

1.名詞B2
釋義

焦慮；不安

對眼前或未來的事感到緊張、放不下的心情

an unpleasant feeling of being nervous and unable to relax, because you are worried about a present problem or a possible future one.

例句

Mira felt deep anxiety the night before her driving test.

駕照路考前一晚，瑪雅心裡充滿了焦慮。

anxiety + before + [event]

Her parents' constant arguing filled the house with anxiety.

她父母不停地吵架，讓整個家瀰漫著一股不安的氣氛。

同義詞
  • worry

    more everyday and less intense than 'anxiety'

  • nervousness

    shorter-lived and tied to a specific event

  • unease

    milder; suggests vague discomfort rather than active worry

反義詞
  • calm

    complete absence of worry or tension

  • reassurance

    the feeling that replaces anxiety after comfort is given

文法句型

anxiety about + noun

anxiety over + noun

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or group; the source of worry is introduced with 'about' or 'over'. Distinguish from sense 3 (the medical condition): sense 1 is a normal short-term feeling, not a diagnosed illness.

常見錯誤

❌I have anxiety for the exam tomorrow.
✅I have anxiety about the exam tomorrow.
💡use 'about' or 'over' for the worry's topic, not 'for'.
❌She felt many anxieties.' (when meaning general worry)
✅She felt a lot of anxiety.
💡uncountable in this sense; 'anxieties' belongs to sense 2.

2. a particular thing, problem, or thought that makes a person worried, often liste

2.名詞C1
釋義

煩惱；憂慮

讓人擔心的具體事情或問題

a particular thing, problem, or thought that makes a person worried, often listed as one of several such concerns.

例句

Money was the family's biggest anxiety after Dad lost his job.

爸爸失業後，錢成了全家最大的煩惱。

[possessive] + biggest + anxiety

Mateo shared his anxieties about moving abroad with her sister.

馬提歐把他對搬到國外的種種憂慮告訴了姐姐。

plural anxieties + about

同義詞
  • concern

    neutral; does not imply strong fear

  • worry

    everyday word for the same idea, slightly less formal

文法句型

[possessive] + anxieties

anxieties about + noun

用法筆記

Countable, often plural. Refers to specific topics that cause worry, not the feeling itself. If you can replace it with 'a worry' or 'worries' and the sentence still makes sense, this is the right sense.

常見錯誤

❌My anxiety are about money and health.
✅My anxieties are about money and health.
💡when listing specific worries, use the plural form.

3. a mental health problem in which a person feels frightened or worried much of th

3.名詞C1
釋義

焦慮症

長期過度擔憂、伴隨身體症狀的心理疾病

a mental health problem in which a person feels frightened or worried much of the time, often with body symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, sweating, or trouble sleeping.

例句

Dr. Leila has treated patients with anxiety for over twenty years.

田中醫師治療焦慮症的患者已經超過二十年。

treat + anxiety (medical)

After the accident, Hannah developed severe anxiety and could not drive.

車禍之後，漢娜罹患了嚴重的焦慮症，沒辦法開車。

develop + severe + anxiety

同義詞

文法句型

suffer from anxiety

treat anxiety

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this is a clinical condition diagnosed by a doctor, not a passing feeling. Often appears with verbs like 'suffer from', 'treat', 'manage', and is the sense used in compounds like 'anxiety disorder' and 'anxiety attack'.

常見錯誤

❌He has the anxiety.
✅He has anxiety.
💡no article when referring to the condition in general.
❌She was diagnosed with anxieties.
✅She was diagnosed with anxiety.
💡the medical condition is uncountable; 'anxieties' belongs to sense 2.

4. a strong, tense wish to do something or get a particular result, that makes you

4.名詞C1
釋義

渴望；急切

急著想做某事、帶點緊張的強烈意願

a strong, tense wish to do something or get a particular result, that makes you hurry or try too hard.

例句

In her anxiety to please her boss, Priya rewrote the report four times.

為了急著討好老闆，普麗雅把報告改了四次。

in + [poss] + anxiety + to-infinitive

The young coach showed real anxiety to prove himself before the season.

這位年輕教練在球季開打前，明顯急著證明自己。

anxiety + to-infinitive

同義詞
  • eagerness

    purely positive; lacks the tense, worried edge of 'anxiety'

  • keenness

    British, neutral; no suggestion of stress

反義詞
  • reluctance

    the opposite — wanting NOT to do something

文法句型

anxiety to + verb

in one's anxiety to + verb

用法筆記

Only sense that takes a to-infinitive. The eagerness here is mixed with worry — the person wants something so much that they feel tense. Often appears in the formal pattern 'in one's anxiety to do something'.

常見錯誤

❌He had anxiety for winning the race.
✅He had an anxiety to win the race.
💡this sense uses a to-infinitive, not 'for' + gerund.