worried

adjective

wor·​ried ˈwər-ēd How to pronounce worried (audio)
ˈwə-rēd
Synonyms of worriednext
: 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

Examples of worried in a Sentence

the soldier's father had a worried expression as he listened to the news
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kyoto, Japan — Nancy Higginbotham wasn’t worried when her 20-year-old son got on a train by himself during their family vacation in Japan. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2026 Farmers are now worried the beef industry could be on the fritz for a while. Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 4 June 2026 Annuities For retirees who are more worried about outliving their money than chasing growth, an annuity could be a smart option. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 June 2026 According to the activist, residents of communities where data centers already exist, are being constructed or have been proposed are worried about energy consumption, water usage, e-waste, location risks, scalability, efficiency and noise. Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for worried

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worried was in 1624

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Worried.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worried. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

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

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