worried

adjective

wor·​ried ˈwər-ēd How to pronounce worried (audio)
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

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.
However, because the pool was shallow, Lisberg was less worried. Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 May 2025 While Herzig is hoping to win a million dollars, his guests are all worried about their own various fantasy teams, mostly competing for a few hundred bucks. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025 There are signs that some in Israel are worried about the consequences of its actions in Gaza. Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 24 May 2025 Metzler got her dream cast with Meghann Fahy as Devon DeWitt, who is worried that her younger sister Simone (Milly Alcock) has an overly dependent and concerning relationship with her boss, the mysterious socialite Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore). Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 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 29 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on worried

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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