anxious about + situation
Expressing worry
About introduces the thing causing concern.
I'm anxious about the interview.
Anxious about or anxious for?
Both anxious about and anxious for are correct, but they express different meanings.
Quick answer
Anxious about vs. anxious for
Use anxious about for worry or concern about something. Use anxious for when you strongly want something or feel concern for a person.
She is anxious about the exam.
They are anxious for news from home.
Parents felt anxious for their children.
They are anxious for news from home.
Parents felt anxious for their children.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
anxious for + person
Feeling concern for someone
For can express care or worry about another person.
We were anxious for the missing hikers.
anxious for + thing
Strongly wanting something
For can also mean eager to receive or experience something.
The team is anxious for a positive result.
anxious to + verb
Being eager to do something
To + verb often means eager rather than worried.
She is anxious to begin work.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
anxious about
He's anxious about the meeting.
Worried or concerned about something.
anxious for
They were anxious for their son's safety.
Concerned for someone or eager for something.
anxious to
I'm anxious to hear the news.
Eager or keen to do something.
anxious over
She was anxious over the delays.
Over is another possible pattern meaning worried about.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using about for people in caring contexts
For often sounds more natural when expressing concern for a person.
✕ They were anxious about their daughter abroad. ✓ They were anxious for their daughter abroad.Confusing worried and eager meanings
Anxious can mean worried or eager depending on the structure.
✕ He is anxious for leave now immediately. ✓ He is anxious to leave now.Using for with ordinary problems
About is usually better for situations or issues.
✕ She is anxious for the traffic delays. ✓ She is anxious about the traffic delays.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. She is anxious ___ the exam results.
2. The family was anxious ___ the injured driver.
3. I'm anxious ___ start the project.
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Frequently asked questions
Does anxious always mean worried?
No. It can also mean eager, especially before an infinitive.
Can anxious for mean eager?
Yes. For can express a strong desire for something.
Is anxious about more common than anxious for?
Anxious about is very common for worries and concerns.
Related preposition guides
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