anxious crossword – All Crossword Answers
Welcome to Answercrossword.com, your ultimate resource for solving challenging crossword puzzles. Below, you'll find comprehensive solutions for the clue "anxious crossword," complete with explanations to help you understand the nuances of each answer.
Solutions for "anxious crossword" by Letter Count
5 Letters
EAGER: Can refer to being anxious in a positive, enthusiastic way, especially when waiting for something to happen.
TENSE: Describing a state of nervousness or anxiety, often physically manifested in one's body.
6 Letters
UNEASY: Feeling worried or apprehensive; not comfortable or relaxed in a situation or about something.
7 Letters
WORRIED: Directly synonymous with anxious, expressing concern about a potential problem or negative outcome.
NERVOUS: Easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious, especially before a performance or event.
8 Letters
DREADING: Anticipating something with great apprehension or fear, often something unpleasant.
12 Letters
APPREHENSIVE: Anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen, a more formal synonym for anxious.
More About "anxious crossword"
The word "anxious" is a classic crossword clue that often trips up solvers due to its dual nature. While most commonly associated with worry, fear, or unease, it can also describe an eager or keen anticipation. This semantic range allows crossword setters to use "anxious" as a versatile clue, leading to answers like WORRIED, NERVOUS, or APPREHENSIVE for its negative connotations, and EAGER when the context implies a positive yearning.
Understanding this duality is key to cracking "anxious" clues. Always consider the surrounding words in the clue and any intersecting letters you might already have. For instance, a clue like "Anxious to begin" would almost certainly point to EAGER, whereas "Anxious about the results" would indicate a more traditional synonym like WORRIED or UNEASY. The length of the answer space is, of course, your most direct hint.
Our goal at Answercrossword.com is to provide not just the answer, but the insight behind it. By offering multiple solutions and detailed explanations for clues like "anxious," we aim to enhance your crossword-solving skills and expand your vocabulary, making you a more confident puzzler.
Tips For Your Next Puzzle
- Examine Word Length: Always start by matching the number of letters in the clue's potential answers with the empty spaces in your grid. This is the simplest and most effective filtering technique.
- Consider Nuances of Meaning: For words like "anxious" that have multiple shades of meaning (e.g., worry vs. eagerness), think about how the clue is phrased. Is it "anxious about" or "anxious for"? This can guide you to the correct synonym.
- Use Intersecting Letters: Your best friends in crosswords are the letters you get from solving intersecting clues. Fill in as many as possible; they will drastically narrow down the possibilities for tougher clues like "anxious."
- Think About Part of Speech: Ensure your chosen answer matches the part of speech implied by the clue. If "anxious" is an adjective, your answer should also be an adjective.
For more advice, visit our page on general crossword strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'anxious' have so many different answers in crosswords?
The word 'anxious' carries a range of meanings, from fearful and worried to eagerly anticipating. Crossword setters leverage these nuances, as well as various synonyms and related states (like being tense or apprehensive), to create clues that can lead to multiple valid solutions depending on the context of the puzzle.
How can I figure out which 'anxious' synonym is correct for my puzzle?
Look at the letter count provided for the answer space. Also, consider the intersecting letters from other solved clues; these are the strongest hints. Finally, the specific phrasing of the clue itself might subtly lean towards one meaning of 'anxious' over another, e.g., 'anxious to please' suggests 'eager', while 'anxious about the test' suggests 'worried'.
Are there common tricky clues related to 'anxious'?
Yes, 'anxious' can be tricky because it can imply both negative feelings (fear, worry) and positive ones (eagerness, keenness). Clues that use 'anxious for' often point to words like EAGER, while clues focusing on 'anxious about' typically lead to WORRIED, NERVOUS, or APPREHENSIVE. Always consider the full context of the clue.