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Synonyms

worried sick

Idioms  

  1. Also, worried to death. Extremely anxious, as in Her parents were worried sick when she didn't come home all night, or We've been worried to death about the drop in the stock market. These somewhat hyperbolic phrases (one could conceivably feel ill from worrying but would hardly die from it) date from the second half of the 1800s.

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.

The other three are native-born Americans, but she's worried sick every time they leave the house.

From Barron's

Sheila Underwood, from Blackpool, said she had found herself living in fuel poverty, worried sick about paying the bills with her pension, after her beloved husband of 59 years, Jim, died five years ago.

From BBC

"This one is for the mums and dads... They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online," Anthony Albanese said.

From BBC

She said she had been "worried sick" about the whole situation.

From BBC

“Okay, that sounds pretty bad. But I’m sure all your family cares about is your safety. They’ve probably been worried sick, and when you get home, they’ll all celebrate.”

From Literature

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.