eco-anxiety
/ˈiːkoʊ æŋˈzaɪ.ɪti/
CommonChronic worry or dread about climate change and the future of the planet.
Recognized by psychologists as a real phenomenon. Used sincerely by people genuinely affected and sometimes self-mockingly by people who feel dramatic about it.
Real-world examples5 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | my eco-anxiety is so bad i genuinely cannot watch nature documentaries anymore | The anxiety has gotten severe enough to affect what media the person can consume. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | therapist asked what i was worried about and i said everything but mostly like. the ocean | Climate anxiety is the central worry even in a therapeutic context. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 03 | does anyone else get eco-anxiety every time it's warm in january or is that just me | Abnormal weather triggers a spiral of climate worry. | reddit, 2023 |
| 04 | in full eco-anxiety mode after watching that glacier documentary. going to go touch grass | A specific piece of content sent the person into a spiral, prompting a break. | x, 2024 |
| 05 | i can't make five year plans anymore because of eco-anxiety. what's the point | Climate dread has undermined the person's ability to think about the future. | tiktok, 2024 |
Use it when
- Someone feels ongoing dread about the planet's future.
- Climate news is causing real distress, not just sadness.
- Someone explains why they avoid reading climate articles.
- Describing the feeling of paralysis when thinking about long-term plans.
Do not use it when
- You mean guilt about a specific thing you did.Use “carbon-footprint-guilt” instead.
- You mean thinking the world is completely doomed with no hope.Use “climate-doomer” instead.
Eco-anxiety vs climate-doomer
eco-anxiety
Eco-anxiety is a feeling of distress and worry, not necessarily a fixed belief.
VS
climate-doomer
Climate-doomer is a belief or identity: the planet is lost and nothing can fix it.
Origin and context
The term was popularized by climate psychologists and researchers in the late 2010s before moving into mainstream internet use. The American Psychological Association described it as early as 2017.
- First seen
- late-2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/eco-anxietyUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0