worry
to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.
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.
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.
worry along / through Informal. to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty: to worry through an intolerable situation.
Idioms about worry
no worries, Informal. : Also not to worry .
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!
Origin of worry
1synonym study For worry
Other words for worry
Other words from worry
- wor·ri·er, noun
- wor·ri·less, adjective
- wor·ry·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use worry in a sentence
For experts, this has long been the worry raised by such language-generating algorithms.
A college kid’s fake, AI-generated blog fooled tens of thousands. This is how he made it. | Karen Hao | August 14, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewAnother worry is that evidence for or against a vaccine could get twisted.
Every country wants a covid-19 vaccine. Who will get it first? | Katie McLean | August 13, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewNotably, a lack of fiscal stimulus was a far greater concern than when we last asked the question in mid-June, although the level of worry about a second wave of coronavirus barely budged.
What Economists Fear Will Happen Without More Unemployment Aid | Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux | August 11, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightOnce outside of Earth’s protective gravitational and magnetic fields, microgravity and radiation become big worries.
What will astronauts need to survive the dangerous journey to Mars? | Maria Temming | July 15, 2020 | Science NewsNow, says cosmologist Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, “we can proceed without the niggling worries.”
Despite a new measurement, the debate over the universe’s expansion rages on | Emily Conover | July 15, 2020 | Science News
But it is a worrying claim nonetheless, one of many testing the boundaries of this new area of law.
Catholic Church: Religious Freedom Trumps Civil Rights | Jay Michaelson | November 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“Recent events, especially in Iraq and Syria, are very worrying,” the pope said, according to Vatican Radio.
The idea that this journey is being transformed into a “pay-per-prayer” weekend, as Sardar notes, is heart wrenching and worrying.
“You can stop worrying about that right now,” Nesbit told him.
‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece | Scott Porch | September 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt was nearing naptime and so the three hurried to grab groceries, worrying that the baby would get fussy after too long.
Westgate's Chilling Security Video Reveals Shopping Mall Bloodbath | Nina Strochlic | September 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBetty declared that she had not slept a wink the night before, worrying for fear her father had not meant what he said.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle | Laura Lee HopeCousin,” said she gravely in a little, “you are not worrying about your father, as though it may—not be well with him now?
David Fleming's Forgiveness | Margaret Murray RobertsonScrambling, sliding, worrying in the dimness, I finally reached the less precipitous slopes of the base of the cliff.
Valley of the Croen | Lee TarbellShe mentioned her fears to the minister, and he said, "When she gets over worrying about Tommy, she'll pick up her crumbs."
The thing disturbed me so that I couldn't get any peace of mind for thinking of it and worrying over it.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
British Dictionary definitions for worry
/ (ˈwʌrɪ) /
to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous
(tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; bother: don't worry me with trivialities
(intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties
(intr often foll by away) to struggle or work: to 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 teeth: a dog worrying a bone
(tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushes: they 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
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
Origin of worry
1Derived forms of worry
- worrying, adjective
- worryingly, adverb
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
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