worrywart

American

[wur-ee-wawrt, wuhr-] / ˈwɜr iˌwɔrt, ˈwʌr- /

noun

a person who tends to worry habitually and often needlessly; pessimist; fussbudget.

Etymology

Origin of worrywart

First recorded in 1930–35; worry + wart

Vocabulary lists containing worrywart

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This hasn’t been a great year to be invested in stocks if you’re a worrywart.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

In the financial crisis of 2008-09, the investment bank Goldman Sachs had a secret weapon: Its CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, was a lifelong worrywart with plenty of tricks for calming his own frazzled nerves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

As the mom of two elementary schoolers and an accomplished worrywart, I am constantly thinking about what I should be doing to protect my family.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2020

The aunt of the main character, Neil Klugman, is a meddling worrywart, and the upper-middle-class relatives of Neil’s girlfriend are satirized as shallow materialists.

From Seattle Times • May 22, 2018

Adam has never met Mrs. Schein, so he doesn’t get that implying that Kim is a worrywart is fighting words.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023