worry

[ wur-ee, wuhr-ee ]

/ ˈwɜr i, ˈwʌr i /

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See synonyms for: worry / worried / worries / worrying 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.

the 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR worry

3 tease, harry, hector, badger, distress.

6 apprehension, solicitude, disquiet, misgiving, fear.

See synonyms for worry on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about worry

no worries, Informal.

Don’t be worried or troubled; everything will be fine: We'll help you move your stuff, no worries!
(used as a conventional reply to thank you or thanks): Oh, no worries, it was fun having you come with us!

Also not to worry .

Origin of worry

First recorded before 900; Middle English weryen, werwen, wyrwyn “to strangle, bite, harass,” Old English wyrgan “to strangle”; cognate with German würgen

synonym study for worry

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 disturbance, torment, or persecution: to harrass a creditor.

OTHER WORDS FROM worry

wor·ri·er, nounwor·ri·less, adjectivewor·ry·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for worry

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 of worry

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

worry

OTHER WORDS FOR worry

Idioms about worry

Origin of worry

synonym study for worry

OTHER WORDS FROM worry

Words related to worry

British Dictionary definitions for worry

Derived forms of worry

Word Origin for worry