ängstlich

ängstlich is a German adjective meaning "anxious" or "fearful". It is used to describe a person, creature, or situation that displays apprehension or unease. The term is typically applied to human emotions but can also refer to animals reacting to perceived danger. In everyday speech it can describe mild worries, such as feeling nervous before an exam, or more intense dread, such as the apprehension of an impending conflict.

The adjective derives from the German noun ängstigkeit, which in turn originates from an Old High German root related to the verb angst, meaning "fear". The spelling with the umlaut ä evolved in Middle High German. In terms of grammatical usage ängstlich modifies nouns and is declined according to case, gender, and number: der ängstliche Mann, die ängstliche Frau, die ängstliche Situation, die ängstlichen Kinder.

Etymologically, ängstlich is closely related to the English word anxious, as both stem from the same Proto-Germanic root *angstaz, meaning "fear". In modern German the word is commonly contrasted with unbewusst (unconscious) or gelassen (calm). Synonyms include ängstig, furchtsam, besorgt, and nervös, while antonyms include sicher, frei von Angst, und gelassen.

In literature and media ängstlich often describes psychological states influenced by external threats or internal doubts. It is used in clinical contexts as part of diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. The adjective is frequently combined with other nouns, for example ängstlich aufgeregt (anxiously excited) or ängstlich vor einer Prüfung (anxious before an exam).