chief anxiety

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "chief anxiety" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the primary or most significant worry or concern someone has. Example: "Her chief anxiety about the upcoming presentation was forgetting her key points."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Frum now identifies health care as the chief anxiety of the middle class.

The New Yorker

The chief anxiety of the Balkan States, says M. Sazonoff, was the localization of the war.

The New York Times

She and her 72-year-old mother, Marilyn, the company's "chief anxiety officer," own 87percentt of the company.

The Washington Post

His chief anxiety is the development of "autonomous targeting", where unmanned planes are engineered to lock automatically onto what their onboard computers identify as the enemy.

The Guardian

No, the chief anxiety provoked by the notion of Trump in the White House was this: that he was sufficiently reckless, impulsive and stupid to bring the world to the brink of nuclear war.

The Guardian - Opinion

For Fawcett, the chief anxiety was that Rice would find Z before he did.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

He was despatched to the east with a commission to report, for in that quarter lay the chief anxieties of the Princeps.

University of Chicago

"Since the downturn, we've seen increased calls to our helpline and increased requests from people wanting to access support services," says Nicky Lidbetter, the chief executive of Anxiety UK. "What we are finding is that people who might ordinarily have managed their anxiety quite well have been tipped into new territory by being made redundant or having to adapt to new life circumstances".

The Guardian

Nicky Lidbetter, the chief executive of Anxiety UK, a charity that has issued guidance about stress for students, agrees that postgraduates tend to feel the pressure to perform.

The Guardian

"Everyone's at a heightened state of anxiety," Chief Moose noted in promising to offer an explanation for each incident as it is investigated.

The New York Times

If you disclose issues to your tutor or head of year early on, reasonable adjustments can be made," says Nicky Lidbetter, chief executive of Anxiety UK.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "chief anxiety" to clearly and concisely identify the main source of worry in a particular situation. For instance, "The "chief anxiety" surrounding the project was whether it would be completed on time."

Common error

Avoid using "chief anxiety" in casual conversations or informal writing. Simpler phrases like "main worry" or "biggest concern" may be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "chief anxiety" functions as a noun phrase that identifies the primary source of worry or concern. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is used to specify the most significant anxiety in a given context. Examples show it describing anxieties related to health care, nuclear war and climate change.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

71%

Academia

14%

Science

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "chief anxiety" is a grammatically correct and usable expression in English, as confirmed by Ludwig. It denotes the primary or most significant worry or concern. While not overly common, it appears most frequently in news and media contexts. Ludwig's analysis indicates it serves to clearly identify the main source of anxiety in a situation, maintaining a neutral to formal tone. Alternatives include "main concern" or "principal worry", but "chief anxiety" should be avoided in informal speech. When writing with "chief anxiety", consider your audience and the level of formality appropriate for your context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

main concern

Focuses on the primary aspect of worry or importance, omitting the emotional intensity of "anxiety".

principal worry

Emphasizes the foremost worry, using a more formal term than "chief".

primary apprehension

Highlights a formal sense of unease and anticipation of future problems, less common than "chief anxiety".

biggest fear

Focuses specifically on fear, a more intense emotion than anxiety.

greatest concern

Stresses the magnitude of the concern, less focused on the emotional aspect of anxiety.

major source of worry

Identifies the origin of the worry, adding a descriptive element.

overriding preoccupation

Indicates a state of being mentally consumed, which is a stronger emphasis than "anxiety".

central unease

Highlights the feeling of discomfort or worry being central, rather than simply the main anxiety.

foremost misgiving

Emphasizes a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the future, which is a narrower scope than general anxiety.

dominant angst

Uses a more dramatic term ("angst") to describe a deep-seated anxiety.

FAQs

What does "chief anxiety" mean?

The phrase "chief anxiety" refers to the main or most prominent source of worry or concern in a particular situation.

How can I use "chief anxiety" in a sentence?

You can use "chief anxiety" to highlight the primary worry in a situation. For example: "The "chief anxiety" of the investors was the company's financial stability."

What are some alternatives to "chief anxiety"?

Alternatives to "chief anxiety" include "main concern", "principal worry", or "primary apprehension" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "chief anxiety" in all contexts?

While grammatically correct, "chief anxiety" is best suited for formal or professional contexts. In casual settings, simpler alternatives like "biggest worry" may be more appropriate.