Anxiogenic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Causing or tending to produce feelings of worry, unease, or nervous tension in a person or animal
2. Capable of inducing or amplifying states of worry and nervous apprehension in living organisms
3. Producing or promoting anxiety and heightened stress responses through biological or psychological mechanisms

Etymology: "Anxiogenic" is a technical coinage built from two parts: "anxio-", a combining form of the Latin "anxius" (troubled, uneasy, from "angere", to press tight or choke), and "-genic", from Greek "-genēs" (producing or originating from), as in "pathogenic" or "carcinogenic". Put together, the pieces literally mean "producing anxiety." The word belongs to the vocabulary of pharmacology and psychology rather than everyday speech. It is used to describe substances or conditions that provoke anxiety, such as certain drugs, caffeine in high doses, or environments that trigger nervous responses in laboratory animals. Because the combining forms are classical, the word looks ancient, but it was assembled deliberately in modern scientific English, following the same pattern used for many other clinical terms.

Synonyms: anxiety-inducing, stressful, nervous, distressing, worrying

Antonyms: calming, soothing, relaxing, comforting, reassuring