anxious friend

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "anxious friend" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a friend who is feeling worried or uneasy about something. Example: "My anxious friend kept checking her phone for updates about the job interview."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

My smiling but anxious friend looks on.

The Guardian - Books

She had brought her pretty younger sister Disha, and their slender, anxious friend Neelam.

The Guardian

"To an Anxious Friend," an editorial of July 27 , 1922 advocating freedom of speech, won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The petty crime and vandalism he takes to with his anxious friend Pinball (William Ruane) are partly a response to their circumstances.

The New York Times

"Is it safe for me to come to Lahore?" an anxious friend emailed from Cairo.

BBC

You might reassure an anxious friend that the sun will certainly rise tomorrow because it always has in the past but you cannot similarly refute an astronomer who claims to have discovered a specific reason for thinking that the earth will stop rotating overnight.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Stranded inside afterwards, they received calls from anxious friends and family.

The Guardian

Other families took hundreds of phone calls from anxious friends and family further away, with all roads cut at one stage except the narrow Whinlatter Pass from Keswick.

The Guardian

"I want to go back to my little church!" He banged around and yelled, which summoned anxious friends outside his room until Young and Abernathy gently removed his whiskey and talked him to bed.

The New Yorker

As someone who has spent his adult life raising a family and running a financial business in New York, I have some words of wisdom for my anxious friends: Calm down.

The New York Times

Even supportive governments face some hard choices about passing intelligence to America, when the ensuing drone strikes may leave spooks and spymasters facing public anger and even lawsuits.On May 23rd Mr Obama moved to answer both hostile critics and anxious friends.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone as an "anxious friend", consider the specific context of their anxiety. Providing more details can make your writing more impactful and relatable.

Common error

Avoid simply stating that someone is an "anxious friend" without explaining the source of their anxiety. This can make the description seem vague and less meaningful. Instead, clarify what's causing their anxiety.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "anxious friend" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "anxious" modifies the noun "friend". According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used to describe a friend experiencing worry or unease.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "anxious friend" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in English used to describe a friend who is feeling worried or uneasy. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is most commonly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts. While "anxious" is sometimes used interchangeably with "eager", it's more precise to use it to convey a sense of worry. Alternative phrases such as "worried friend" or "nervous friend" can be used depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. When using "anxious friend", providing context about the source of their anxiety enhances the description's impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

worried friend

Replaces "anxious" with a more common synonym, "worried".

nervous friend

Substitutes "anxious" with "nervous", emphasizing the friend's agitation.

apprehensive friend

Uses "apprehensive" instead of "anxious", suggesting a feeling of unease about the future.

concerned friend

Replaces "anxious" with "concerned", highlighting the friend's worry about a specific situation.

uneasy friend

Uses "uneasy" to convey a sense of discomfort and anxiety.

friend in distress

Shifts the focus to the friend's state of being, indicating they are suffering from anxiety.

troubled friend

Indicates a friend who is experiencing anxiety due to problems or difficulties.

stressed friend

Replaces "anxious" with "stressed", emphasizing the friend's feeling of being overwhelmed.

fretting friend

Uses "fretting" to describe a friend who is constantly worrying about something.

perturbed friend

Substitutes "anxious" with "perturbed", suggesting a slight disturbance or agitation in the friend.

FAQs

How can I use "anxious friend" in a sentence?

You can use "anxious friend" to describe a friend who is worried or uneasy. For example, "My "anxious friend" kept checking the news for updates."

What are some alternatives to saying "anxious friend"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "worried friend", "nervous friend", or "concerned friend".

Is it correct to say "I'm anxious to see my friends"?

While some people use "anxious" to mean "eager", it's more accurate to use it to describe worry or unease. Instead of saying "I'm anxious to see my friends", consider saying "I'm "eager to" see my friends" or "I "am looking forward to" seeing my friends".

What does it mean when someone is described as an "anxious friend"?

It means the person is likely experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness. The specific reason for their anxiety would depend on the context.