worried; worrying
1
: to afflict with mental distress or agitation : make anxious
2
a
: to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping especially at the throat
b
: to shake or pull at with the teeth
a terrier worrying a rat
c
: to touch or disturb something repeatedly
d
: to change the position of or adjust by repeated pushing or hauling
3
a
: to assail with rough or aggressive attack or treatment : torment
b
: to subject to persistent or nagging attention or effort
1
: to feel or experience concern or anxiety : fret
worrying about his health
2
: to move, proceed, or progress by unceasing or difficult effort : struggle
plural worries
1
a
: mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated : anxiety
b
: an instance or occurrence of such distress or agitation
2
: a cause of worry : trouble, difficulty
Synonyms
Examples of worry in a Sentence
Verb
We didn't want you to worry.
Don't worry. You'll be fine.
Don't make your parents worry.
When they didn't call after two hours, we began to worry.
They were fine. We needn't have worried.
His poor health worries me.
It doesn't seem to worry him that rain is in the forecast.
We didn't tell you about the accident because we didn't want to worry you.
Noun
She finally ended months of worry over her credit card debt when she finished paying off her bill.
His high blood pressure is cause for worry.
Our greatest worry is that she'll get lost.
His only worry right now is getting to the airport on time.
His mother's health is a constant worry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
What about Sato having to worry about his younger brother, Kaito (Atomu Mizuishi), and Hayama constantly trying to use him and put him in harm’s way?
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
This comes as no surprise to Vivian Huang, a public health physician based in Arizona who worries about far-reaching impacts of a peaker plant on this rural area.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
Option three is the scenario many ultra-wealthy Americans appear to be worried about.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Ready to upgrade your spring wardrobe — but worried about how much that might cost?
—Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
The army green shade is perfect for transitioning from winter to spring weather, but if your wardrobe is calling for something different, don’t worry — there are 20 other colors to choose from.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Officials also worry that Europe lacks the production capacity to compensate for a U.S. shortfall, especially in artillery and air-defense ammunition — Ukraine’s biggest needs.
—Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Gilbert, who spends a lot of time talking with HR tech providers, is also hearing from clients worried about visual deepfakes.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
But when the leaders of the three countries sit down at the White House on Thursday, a key topic will be a much more present-day worry that binds their relationship – a common concern over China.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
But Laube, a Redondo Beach resident, still wore his hair close-cropped, and his boyish face showed no signs of worry.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Another thing that causes interrupted sleep is worry.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024
Analysts said worries were growing that what rattled Wall Street might spread to Asia, despite recent relatively positive economic signs from China.
—Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Nitrate's health risks pose worries Nitrate forms when oxygen combines with nitrogen-rich sources like fertilizer, manure or waste from septic tanks.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
This worry shaped what would become his most lasting contribution to American politics.
—TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
The answer to that worry is more DCFCs along major transportation routes.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
What makes the Court different from other political actors is stare decisis, the tradition of respecting its earlier decisions, something Congress does not have to worry about.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
What about Sato having to worry about his younger brother, Kaito (Atomu Mizuishi), and Hayama constantly trying to use him and put him in harm’s way?
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
This comes as no surprise to Vivian Huang, a public health physician based in Arizona who worries about far-reaching impacts of a peaker plant on this rural area.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
Option three is the scenario many ultra-wealthy Americans appear to be worried about.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Ready to upgrade your spring wardrobe — but worried about how much that might cost?
—Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
The army green shade is perfect for transitioning from winter to spring weather, but if your wardrobe is calling for something different, don’t worry — there are 20 other colors to choose from.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Officials also worry that Europe lacks the production capacity to compensate for a U.S. shortfall, especially in artillery and air-defense ammunition — Ukraine’s biggest needs.
—Isabelle Khurshudyan, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Gilbert, who spends a lot of time talking with HR tech providers, is also hearing from clients worried about visual deepfakes.
—Nick Rockel, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
Early worries of a gridlock never materialized as vehicles moved freely down North Waco Street and the sun poked through gray skies by early afternoon.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
But when the leaders of the three countries sit down at the White House on Thursday, a key topic will be a much more present-day worry that binds their relationship – a common concern over China.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
But Laube, a Redondo Beach resident, still wore his hair close-cropped, and his boyish face showed no signs of worry.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Another thing that causes interrupted sleep is worry.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024
Analysts said worries were growing that what rattled Wall Street might spread to Asia, despite recent relatively positive economic signs from China.
—Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Nitrate's health risks pose worries Nitrate forms when oxygen combines with nitrogen-rich sources like fertilizer, manure or waste from septic tanks.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
This worry shaped what would become his most lasting contribution to American politics.
—TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
The answer to that worry is more DCFCs along major transportation routes.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'worry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English worien, from Old English wyrgan; akin to Old High German wurgen to strangle, Lithuanian veržti to constrict
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4
Noun
1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of worry was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing worry
Dictionary Entries Near worry
Cite this Entry
“Worry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worry. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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