worried

1 of 2

adjective

wor·​ried ˈwər-ēd 

ˈwə-rēd

: mentally troubled or concerned : feeling or showing concern or anxiety about what is happening or might happen

worried parents

a worried frown

I'm not too worried about the weather.

He was worried sick. [=extremely worried]

But the technological intrusion of prenatal testing leaves expectant parents more worried than reassured.

—Ronni Sandroff

There was an ominous and worried expression on their faces.

—Jack London

… his mother was so worried she sent for the doctor.

—E. B. White

worriedly adverb

"Well, what did you think when you heard the news?" Jimmy asked us worriedly.

—Bobbie Ann Mason

… Roy thought it was from a snakebite, and worriedly glanced around.

—Carl Hiaasen

worried

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of worry entry 1

Synonyms of worried

Adjective

• upset
• nervous
• anxious
• uneasy
• troubled
• apprehensive
• concerned

Examples of worried in a Sentence

Adjective

the soldier's father had a worried expression as he listened to the news

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

O'Keefe said his decision is not political, and family members were worried about their safety. — Ross Dimattei, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Milo Jiang isn’t worried that AI could wipe out the human race. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2026

Jim Cramer has been worried about the political backlash facing data centers. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Aside from wages and issues related to the roof, several people were worried about workplace safety at the Lighthouse. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1624, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for worried

• curried
• flurried
• hurried
• scurried
• unburied
• unhurried

Kids Definition

worried

adjective

wor·​ried

ˈwər-ēd, 

ˈwə-rēd

: having worries : marked by or showing worry

very worried about the test

a worried look

worriedly adverb