adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of worried
Explanation
The adjective worried describes someone who's uneasy or troubled about something. Imagine worried parents, up late, waiting for their teenager to arrive home from a party. Someone with a worried frown on his face always seems concerned. A worried email to your cousin who's traveling in the Middle East expresses your concern for her safety. The root of worried is the Old English word wyrgan, or strangle. It wasn't until the late 1800s that worried was used to describe feeling anxiety.
Vocabulary lists containing worried
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Hooked on a Feeling, List 2
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
But the industry is increasingly worried about so-called silent risk, where mainstream policies for businesses using AI neither affirmatively cover nor exclude losses caused by the technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
When Sexton was sidelined at the beginning of the preseason, Redick said he was not worried about the guard’s status for the Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
The complainant said she delayed coming forward because she was worried it would impact her professional life.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
University student Fadumo Ali worried that a disputed federal election "could undermine governance and national unity".
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Yes?” said Duane meekly, worried that he was about to get another harsh stare.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
