worry

[wur-ee, wuhr-ee]

See more synonyms for worry on Thesaurus.com

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.

Idioms

no worries, Informal. Don’t be troubled; it is of no concern: If you can’t make it to the party, no worries.Also not to worry.

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

Synonyms for worry

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

3. tease, harry, hector, badger, disquiet. 6. apprehension, solicitude, disquiet, misgiving, fear.

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. 2018

Related Words for worries

pain, apprehension, uncertainty, misgiving, doubt, uneasiness, misery, woe, fear, headache, anguish, problem, concern, annoy, depress, disturb, unsettle, perturb, bother, upset

Examples from the Web for worries

Contemporary Examples of worries

Cereal brings back memories of lazy mornings and easy extravagance, a time when worries were few and comfort was plenty.
Cereal Cafe’s Big Bowl of Hate
David Levesley
December 14, 2014
And when asked whether he worries about Studio Ghibli after he and Takahata retire, Miyazaki is frank.
Anime King Hayao Miyazaki’s Cursed Dreams
Melissa Leon
December 2, 2014
As the holidays approach, Hohlfelder worries that concern will further dwindle.
Millions Promised for Ebola Not Adding Up
Abby Haglage
November 25, 2014
He worries that pain is a front for the real issue—a devaluing of people with disabilities.
U.K. Courts Grant Mother Right to End Her 12-Year-Old Disabled Daughter’s Life
Elizabeth Picciuto
November 4, 2014
Overreaction is still a concern that worries public-health experts.
Are Mandatory Ebola Quarantines Legal?
Tim Mak
October 28, 2014

Historical Examples of worries

Cyrus worries so about it (of course we know what you refer to).
Quaint Courtships
Various
But Pierre scarcely listened, absorbed as he was in his own worries.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
What worries me is that Bergaz should have sold himself just now.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
And for the first time, amidst his worries, he realised the necessity of work.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
"You must forgive me, my dear child, for leaving you all these worries," added Abbe Rose.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for worries

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 worries

worry

Old English wyrgan "to strangle," from West Germanic *wurgijanan (cf. Middle Dutch worghen, Dutch worgen, Old High German wurgen, German würgen "to strangle," Old Norse virgill "rope"), from PIE *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). Related: Worrisome; worrying.

The oldest sense was obsolete in English after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first recorded 1670s, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1550s), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intransitive sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.

worry

1804, from worry (v.).