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worried

[wur-eed, wuhr-]
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adjective

having or characterized by worry; concerned; anxious: Their worried parents called the police.
indicating, expressing, or attended by worry: worried looks.

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RELATED WORDS

perturbed, distressed, concerned, distracted, upset, bothered, disturbed, tense, frightened, clutched, afraid, apprehensive, distraught, fearful, fretful, nervous, overwrought, solicitous, uneasy, uptight

Nearby words

  1. wormy,
  2. worn,
  3. worn out,
  4. worn to a frazzle,
  5. worn-out,
  6. worried sick,
  7. worried well,
  8. worriedly,
  9. worrier,
  10. worriment

Origin of worried

First recorded in 1550–60; worry + -ed2
Related formswor·ried·ly, adverbun·wor·ried, adjective

worry

[wur-ee, wuhr-ee]

verb (used without object), wor·ried, wor·ry·ing.

to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.

verb (used with object), wor·ried, wor·ry·ing.

to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.
to seize, especially by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.
to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.

noun, plural wor·ries.

a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
act of worrying.
Fox Hunting. the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.

Verb Phrases

worry along/through, Informal. to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty: to worry through an intolerable situation.

Origin of worry

before 900; Middle English weryen, werwen, wyrwyn to strangle, bite, harass, Old English wyrgan to strangle; cognate with German würgen
Related formswor·ri·er, nounwor·ri·less, adjectivewor·ry·ing·ly, adverb

Synonym study

3. Worry, annoy, harass all mean to disturb or interfere with someone's comfort or peace of mind. To worry is to cause anxiety, apprehension, or care: to worry one's parents. To annoy is to vex or irritate by continued repetition of interferences: to annoy the neighbors. Harass implies long-continued worry and annoyance: Cares of office harass a president. 6. See concern.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for worried

British Dictionary definitions for worried

worried

adjective

feeling uneasy about a situation or thing; anxious
Derived Formsworriedly, adverb

worry

verb -ries, -rying or -ried

to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous
(tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; botherdon't worry me with trivialities
(intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties
(intr often foll by away) to struggle or workto worry away at a problem
(tr) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc
(when intr, foll by at) to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teetha dog worrying a bone
(tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushesthey worried the log into the river
(tr) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly
obsolete to choke or cause to choke
not to worry informal you need not worry

noun plural -ries

a state or feeling of anxiety
a person or thing that causes anxiety
an act of worrying
no worries informal an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem
Derived Formsworrying, adjectiveworryingly, adverb

Word Origin for worry

Old English wyrgan; related to Old Frisian wergia to kill, Old High German wurgen (German (er) würgen to strangle), Old Norse virgill, urga rope
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for worried
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper