worried

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

Synonyms

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

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

But farmers are worried that time is quickly running out to reach a deal in time to sell any of this year’s crop to their biggest customer. —Danny Bakst, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2025

The worried mom immediately booked a flight from Virginia to Colorado, which was an agonizing trip. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025

Tightening in the labor market has made an entire generation more worried about what the future will hold. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025

Maybe your league values Barkley the same as draft day, but surely some managers are a little worried about his pedestrian RB13 start. —Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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