worry
[wur-ee, wuhr-ee]
- to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
- to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- worry along/through, Informal. to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty: to worry through an intolerable situation.
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- 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.
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Origin of worry
before 900; Middle English weryen, werwen, wyrwyn to strangle, bite, harass, Old English wyrgan to strangle; cognate with German würgen
Synonyms
See more synonyms for worry on Thesaurus.com3. 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
Examples from the Web for worries
Contemporary Examples
Cereal brings back memories of lazy mornings and easy extravagance, a time when worries were few and comfort was plenty.
And when asked whether he worries about Studio Ghibli after he and Takahata retire, Miyazaki is frank.
As the holidays approach, Hohlfelder worries that concern will further dwindle.
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 LifeElizabeth Picciuto
November 4, 2014
Overreaction is still a concern that worries public-health experts.
Historical Examples
Cyrus worries so about it (of course we know what you refer to).
Quaint CourtshipsVarious
But Pierre scarcely listened, absorbed as he was in his own worries.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
What worries me is that Bergaz should have sold himself just now.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
And for the first time, amidst his worries, he realised the necessity of work.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
"You must forgive me, my dear child, for leaving you all these worries," added Abbe Rose.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
worry
- 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
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- 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
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Word Origin
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
v.
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.
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worry
n.
1804, from worry (v.).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper