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
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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.
Other European automakers are openly worried about the influx of new rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
She said she worried that executives could offload stock if they expected the value to drop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
But she constantly worried her choices, from sleep schedules to handling toddler tantrums, were "ruining their lives forever".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
But the siblings worried about Walker’s mental health, and agreed he needed to be institutionalized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Afterward, Leah referred to Elisha as “a vain, pompous little man” and worried about his fascination with her teenage sister.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
