anxiety
n. C / Un. a strong feeling of worry or fear about what might happen. You often feel this in your body, like a fast heartbeat or a tight chest, when you are stressed.
n. a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can range from mild to severe. In clinical contexts, it describes a nervous disorder characterised by a state of excessive apprehension.
She feels a lot of anxiety before big exams.
The constant delays at the airport cause severe anxiety among the passengers waiting for their connecting flights.
While acute anxiety serves as an evolutionary mechanism to heighten awareness in dangerous situations, chronic anxiety can severely impair cognitive function and overall well-being.
Borrowed from Latin anxietās, from anxius (“anxious, solicitous, distressed, troubled”), from angō (“to distress, trouble”), akin to Ancient Greek ἄγχω (ánkhō, “to choke”). Equivalent to anxious + -ety. See anger; angst.
Often followed by the prepositions 'about' or 'over' when specifying the cause of the feeling.