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.
“I’m not worried about competition because the market is big enough,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
News agency TT reported that worried parents had gathered outside the school.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Dame Uta is worried that autistic people who need a lot of support are not getting the help they need.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Are they worried that David Ellison is going to make everyone move to Nashville? — the answer seems pretty simple and obvious.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Is that what this is about? You’re worried about me?”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions 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.
