worry beads

American

noun

(used with a plural verb)

a string of beads manipulated to relieve worry and tension.

worry beads British

plural noun

a string of beads that when fingered or played with supposedly relieves nervous tension

"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

Etymology

Origin of worry beads

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

See Examples For:

worry beads

Audiences and critics alike are bored of film executives clinging to the same proven names and proven plots as tightly as worry beads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Perched on a stool in a tobacco-tinged community centre, Papadakis flips a set of worry beads and considers his answer.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 21, 2019

When the family finally arrived in Greece, McKeon observed Onassis clasping on blue worry beads, rubbing them back and forth.

From Fox News ● Oct. 22, 2018

I put it in my pocket, fingering it like a set of worry beads.

From New York Times ● Sep. 9, 2013

She opens her prepacked suitcase, feeling among nightgown and slippers for her worry beads.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023