developing anxious

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "developing anxious" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be an attempt to describe a state of increasing anxiety, but it is not a commonly used expression. Example: "I could feel myself developing anxious thoughts as the deadline approached."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This study suggests that individuals exposed to bed bugs may be at risk of experiencing sleep disturbance and of developing anxious and possibly depressive symptoms.

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

In experiments with bioengineered mice, researchers showed that animals lacking serotonin early in life when their brains were rapidly developing displayed anxious behavior as adults.

The New York Times

She developed an anxious, jumpy disposition, and workmates began to avoid her at lunch.

The Guardian - Books

It therefore seems that the increased reuptake of 5-HT in prefrontal cortical areas may develop in anxious subjects to reduce behavioural consequences of aversive stimuli.

Brain Research

This theory, developed over the last two decades, rests on studies that show that human beings most readily change their views when they grow anxious.

Huffington Post

Some experts in Britain's most common cancer are expecting the NHS to face increasing demand from women anxious about developing breast cancer and keen to be tested after actor Angelina Jolie revealed on Tuesday that she had undergone a double mastectomy that had reduced her risk of getting breast cancer from 87%to5%5%.

The Guardian

Can Republicans come back by developing economic solutions for anxious middle-class boomers and by being culturally tolerant?

Huffington Post

To the end, he was growing, exploring, questioning, developing, willing and even anxious to accept intellectual and spiritual challenges which would have (and indeed have) frightened younger men".

Los Angeles Times

The young adults who we interviewed reported being much more anxious about developing hyperglycaemia than they were about 'going low'.

BMC Endocrine Disorders

Interventions focusing on positive self-statements, positive emotions and positive events may enhance resiliency and may function as a buffer against developing negative mood or anxious feelings.

BMC Psychiatry

As for the rich world, its interest in TTIP and TPP is motivated in part by a desire to bypass China, which lacks a seat at both tables; developed economies are anxious to set international trade rules without much Chinese influence while they still can.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for more conventional phrases like "becoming anxious" or "growing anxious" to clearly and effectively express the idea of increasing anxiety.

Common error

Relying on unconventional phrases like "developing anxious" can confuse readers. Instead, choose established expressions to maintain clarity and credibility in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "developing anxious" attempts to describe a process of becoming more anxious. However, it is not a standard or grammatically correct construction in English. Ludwig AI indicates this is non-standard, suggesting alternatives like "becoming anxious" or "growing anxious".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "developing anxious" is an uncommon and grammatically questionable construction. As Ludwig AI highlights, it's more appropriate to use alternatives like "becoming anxious" or "growing anxious". The primary contexts where this phrase appears are in scientific and news-related articles, though its low frequency suggests it's best to avoid it in formal writing. Using more conventional phrasing ensures clarity and maintains credibility with your audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Becoming anxious

Replaces "developing" with "becoming", a more common verb for describing the onset of a feeling.

Growing anxious

Substitutes "developing" with "growing", another standard way to describe an increase in anxiety.

Feeling anxious

Shifts the focus to the subjective experience of anxiety, replacing "developing" with "feeling".

Starting to feel anxious

Adds "starting to feel" to emphasize the beginning of the anxious state.

Getting anxious

Uses "getting" as an informal alternative to "becoming".

Increasingly anxious

Uses an adverb to modify the adjective "anxious", indicating a gradual increase in anxiety.

Becoming more and more anxious

Emphasizes the progressive nature of the increasing anxiety.

Developing anxiety

Changes the structure to use "anxiety" as a noun, implying the development of a condition rather than a feeling.

Finding oneself becoming anxious

Adds a reflexive pronoun to emphasize the surprise or involuntariness of the anxious feeling.

Anxiety is developing

Rephrases the sentence to emphasize anxiety itself is what is developing

FAQs

What's a better way to say "developing anxious"?

Instead of "developing anxious", use more common and grammatically correct phrases like "becoming anxious" or "growing anxious".

Is "developing anxious" grammatically correct?

No, "developing anxious" is not considered standard English. It's better to use phrases like "becoming anxious" or "growing anxious" instead.

When should I use "becoming anxious" instead of "developing anxious"?

Always use "becoming anxious" as it's the grammatically correct and widely accepted way to express the idea of someone starting to feel anxious. Avoid "developing anxious" in formal and informal writing.

What does it mean to say someone is "becoming anxious"?

Saying someone is "becoming anxious" means they are starting to feel worried, uneasy, or apprehensive. It indicates the gradual onset of anxiety.