anxious

/ˈaŋ(k)ʃəs/

meaning in plain English

Feeling worried or scared about something that might happen.

Picture a nervous rabbit biting its own tail—anxious and jittery about the next hop.

for example

She felt anxious before her big test.

Remember the night before a big test when your stomach twists into knots and your mind races through every possible worst-case scenario? That knot-in-the-gut feeling is what we call anxious—it’s your brain sounding the alarm even when there’s no fire, just the fear of one.