yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Anxious | Vocabulary | Khan Academy


2m read
·Nov 10, 2024

Oh boy, oh geez, wordsmiths, I'm not feeling so hot about this word. I tell you what. The word is anxious, or if you prefer, anxious. It's an adjective that means very worried. You might have seen it in its noun form, anxiety, which is the state of being very worried.

If you trace this word back to its origins, you get the Latin word "Ang," which means to choke or to squeeze. When I feel anxious, sometimes my throat gets tight and my heart hammers in my chest. And listen, wordsmiths, it's a bad time.

That "o-u-s" part is an adjective-forming suffix; it means "full of." Right? So, being anxious is being full of that choking, squeezed feeling.

So, a real fun one this time, huh? Let's all take a deep breath, think of a calming, centered place, and come up with some related words. Some similar words that sound like "ang" or "ous," that end in "ous." I'll put on some calming music, 10 seconds. Here we go!

Here are three that I came up with: We've got anguish. It shares the same root as anxious, that "Ang" word, and it means misery, torment, very deep unhappiness, as if you were being choked or squeezed.

Agony! Okay, uh, next word: anger. This is an interesting one because anger looks a lot like "ang"-are, but actually traces back to Old Viking languages, not Latin. But it comes from an even older shared root, a common ancestor of Latin and the Viking languages. So it has the same meaning: squeezed or painful.

From there, we get anger—hostility, feeling constricted and squeezed. And finally, furious—using that "ous" ending, it means full of fury, full of anger.

I promise I'm having a very normal day, wordsmiths. There's just something about this derivation that puts me on edge.

Okay, let's use anxious in a sentence or two. At first, Betina felt anxious about hiking Needle Teeth Gorge but felt reassured when she remembered that her Aunt Isabella was a trained wilderness guide. Needle Teeth Gorge does not sound like a fun or safe place to go for a hike, uh, to me. Betina's worries are understandable.

Let's try another one using the noun form of the word anxiety. Based on what you told me, it seems like potatoes are the cause of your anxiety, Dr. Gomez said. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone about your feelings, potato-related or no.

Deep breaths, wordsmiths. You can do this. You can conquer your anxiety, and you can learn anything. David out.

More Articles

View All
What is an operational amplifier?
We’re going to talk about the operational amplifier, or op-amp for short, and this is the workhorse of all analog electronics. The operational amplifier is a type of amplifier. An amplifier is anything that you put an electronic signal in, and you get out…
Simple redox reactions | Chemistry | Khan Academy
You have probably heard about this word: oxidation, oxidizing, or antioxidants, and stuff like that. But what exactly does it mean, and what can you do knowing about it? Well, let’s find out. Oxidation has the word oxygen in it; you can see that, right? …
Jay Reno of Feather, a Furniture Subscription Startup
Jay Reno: Welcome to the podcast. Interviewee: Thank you for having me. Jay Reno: So you are the founder and CEO of Feather, which was in the Summer ‘17 batch. Feather is a furniture subscription service. At the core of it is this idea that people don’t…
Why Simplicity is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being Simple
Once upon a time, in a quiet mountain village lived a humble stonecutter named Taro. Every day, Taro would shape rocks into bricks and tiles. He was content with his simple life and found joy in his craft. One day, a group of wealthy merchants passed by. …
A LACK OF FRIENDS INDICATES THAT A PERSON IS VERY.... | STOICISM
When asked about his lack of friends, a stoic man likened friendship to a diamond. Elusive and precious, he said, friendships are rare, valuable, and often surrounded by imitations. After a few errors in judgment, you begin to believe that all friendships…
See How Pigeons Saved This Man From a Life on the Streets | Short Film Showcase
[Music] From the first time I seen, I was in love. I’ll be honest, that was my love at first sight. As they come down slow, it just moved. Ah, it’s good. You see this? That’s it! The team? I think this is just great to me. Listen, what other hobby can yo…