worried

American  

[wur-eed, wuhr-] / ˈwɜr id, ˈwʌr- /

adjective

1. having or characterized by worry; concerned; anxious.

   Their worried parents called the police.

2. indicating, expressing, or attended by worry.

   worried looks.

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worried British  

/ ˈwʌrɪd /

adjective

1. feeling uneasy about a situation or thing; anxious

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Other Word Forms

• unworried adjective
• worriedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of worried

First recorded in 1550–60; worry + -ed ²

Example Sentences

She adds that she’s not worried her boys will balk at the idea.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

He’s worried about where this all goes, not just strategically, but in the way people who’ve watched these things unfold before get worried.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

The Journal is worried about the return of subprime loans, but our proposal explicitly prevents that.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“It would certainly catch me by surprise and feel a little reckless. And I think I’d probably be the last person people would be worried about,” Cooke said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

And in the last few days in particular, she had been talking about her all the time because she was very worried about her.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo