worry

[ wur-ee, wuhr-ee ]

/ ˈwɜr i, ˈwʌr i /

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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.

Nearby words

worried sick, worried well, worriment, worrisome, worrit, worry, worry beads, worryguts, worrywart, worse, worse for wear

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

SYNONYMS FOR worry

3 tease, harry, hector, badger, disquiet.

6 apprehension, solicitude, disquiet, misgiving, fear.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR worry ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

wor·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 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
As the holidays approach, Hohlfelder worries that concern will further dwindle.
Millions Promised for Ebola Not Adding Up|Abby Haglage|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

Overreaction is still a concern that worries public-health experts.
Are Mandatory Ebola Quarantines Legal?|Tim Mak|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gramma worries all the time for fear he has rheumatism, and nobody to rub on liniment, or make him wear the right underclothes.
Just Patty|Jean Webster
It has been well said that though men carry more of the wood, women carry not less of the worries of life.
Household Administration|Various
As to the moral difficulties and worries of those months at Haggart, Ashe remembered them as little as might be.
The Marriage of William Ashe|Mrs. Humphry Ward
And yet, for all their worries, what would we do without the ladies?
Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays|Various
One of the worries of modern life is the perplexity where to spend the summer.
A Little Journey in the World|Charles Dudley Warner

British Dictionary definitions for worries

worry

/ (ˈwʌrɪ) /

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 Forms

worrying, 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