worry

American  

[wur-ee, wuhr-ee] / ˈwɜr i, ˈwʌr i /

verb (used without object)

worried, worrying

1. to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

2. to move with effort.

   an old car worrying uphill.

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verb (used with object)

worried, worrying

1. to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.

   Synonyms:

   distress , badger , hector , harry , tease

2. to seize, especially by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.

3. to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.

noun

PLURAL

worries

1. a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.

   Synonyms:

   fear , misgiving , disquiet , solicitude , apprehension

2. a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.

3. the act of worrying.

4. Fox Hunting.  the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.

verb phrase

1. worry along / through  to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty.

   to worry through an intolerable situation.

idioms

1. no worries,  Also not to worry

   1. Don’t be worried or troubled; everything will be fine.

      We'll help you move your stuff, no worries!

   2. (used as a conventional reply to thank you or thanks).

      Oh, no worries, it was fun having you come with us!

worry British  

/ ˈwʌrɪ /

verb

1. to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous

2. (tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; bother

   don't worry me with trivialities

3. (intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties

4. to struggle or work

   to worry away at a problem

5. (tr) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc

6. to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teeth

   a dog worrying a bone

7. (tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushes

   they worried the log into the river

8. (tr) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly

9. obsolete  to choke or cause to choke

10. informal  you need not worry

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noun

1. a state or feeling of anxiety

2. a person or thing that causes anxiety

3. an act of worrying

4. informal  an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem

Usage

What are other ways to say worry? The noun worry means “a worried condition or feeling.” How does worry compare to synonyms care and concern? Learn more on Thesaurus.com. 

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• worrier noun
• worriless adjective
• worrying adjective
• worryingly adverb

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore said he expects Nvidia to keep “dominant market share,” as recent worries over the threat of ASICs “are becoming overstated.”

From MarketWatch

And worries about the credit picture have weighed on Oracle’s stock, she added, which could prompt management to give more details on funding plans on the next earnings call.

From MarketWatch

General worries about increased risk in global assets is a factor, too.

From Barron's

Investors have also worried about investment deals between major players, including Nvidia, and more formidable competition from Alphabet in the semiconductor industry.

From MarketWatch

Buying your brother’s home is probably not a good idea if your sister is concerned about taxes, or if he is worried about Medicaid.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• anguish
• apprehension
• concern
• doubt
• fear
• headache
• misery
• misgiving
• pain
• problem
• uncertainty
• uneasiness
• woe