adjective
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causing worry; vexing
-
tending to worry
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of worrisome
Explanation
If something is worrisome, it bothers or upsets you. Your nervous dog may find the sound of thunder extremely worrisome. When the news reports are full of worrisome developments — crime, climate change, local budget cuts — it can be reassuring to hear some good news, which is why many news broadcasts also include feel-good stories about lost pets reunited with their owners and kids raising money for the local library. Worrisome things do just what you'd think: they make you worry. This word first appeared around 1820 in North America, and it's been used ever since for things that cause distress.
Vocabulary lists containing worrisome
-some
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Vocabulary from Readings 1, Unit 1
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English Language Development Texts, Unit 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An updated version of the “Misery Index,” which includes the 30-year mortgage rate, has been moving toward a worrisome level that historically has been followed by weaker returns for the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
A power purchasing agreement with nuclear energy start-up Helion Energy was flagged as particularly worrisome, given the firm has yet to ever deliver any power.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
That he brings a gun is a worrisome start, per Chekhov.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Notice volume was elevated both weeks and there has been some frequent distribution, which is a bit worrisome.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
On October 25, 1890, the site for the fair still unchosen, worrisome news arrived from Europe, the first hint of forces gathering that could do infinitely more damage to the fair than the directors’ stalemate.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
