Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

concern

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of concern

1 a commercial or industrial activity or organization
  • several banking concerns in the area
Synonyms of concern

business, company, enterprise, establishment, firm, house, interest, outfit
Words Related to concern

conglomerate, corporation, multinational

association, cartel, chain, combine, syndicate, trust

agency, dealer, outlet
2 an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
  • The recent drop in profits has caused a great deal of concern among shareholders.
Synonyms of concern

agitation, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervousness, solicitude, sweat, unease, uneasiness, worry
Words Related to concern

strain, stress, tension

alarm (also alarum), anguish, consternation, desperateness, desperation, discomfort, discomposure, dismay, distraction, distress, disturbance, edginess, hand-wringing, jitters, jumpiness, panic, tremor

angst, fearfulness, torment, upset, vexation

cold feet, doubt, dread, foreboding, incertitude, misgiving, presentiment, suspense, uncertainty

compunction, qualm, scruple
Near Antonyms of concern

calm, calmness, content, contentment, ease, easiness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quiet, quietude, sereneness, serenity, tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness

comfort, consolation, relief, solace
Antonyms of concern

unconcern

Synonym Discussion of concern

care, concern, solicitude, anxiety, worry mean a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this. care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.
    • a face worn by years of care
concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.
    • crimes caused concern in the neighborhood
solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.
    • acted with typical maternal solicitude
anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.
    • plagued by anxiety and self-doubt
worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.
    • financial worries

concern

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of concern

1 to have (something) as a subject matter
  • The book concerns the voyages of Arctic explorer Matthew Henson.
Synonyms of concern

cover, deal (with), pertain (to), treat (of)
Words Related to concern

appertain (to), bear (on or upon), refer (to), relate (to)

advert (to), allude (to), cite, glance (upon), instance, mention, name, note, notice, quote, specify, touch (upon)

offer, present

contain, embrace, encompass, entail, include, incorporate
Phrases Synonymous with concern

have to do with
Near Antonyms of concern

exclude, omit

disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over)

brush (aside or off), reject, shrug off
2 to be the business or affair of
  • the problems of air and water pollution that concern all of us
Synonyms of concern

affect, involve, touch
Words Related to concern

appertain (to), apply (to), bear (on), pertain (to), refer (to), relate (to)

embroil, ensnare, entangle, implicate
3 to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
  • We were greatly concerned by reports that yet another previously unknown virus is now posing a threat.
Synonyms of concern

agitate, ail, alarm (also alarum), bother, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry
Words Related to concern

aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy (or chivvy), exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex

bedevil, haunt, plague

abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up

daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve
Near Antonyms of concern

allay, alleviate, assuage

appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate
Antonyms of concern

calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize)

Learn More about concern

  1. See words that rhyme with concern Dictionary: Definition of concern Spanish Central: Translation of concern Nglish: Translation of concern for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of concern for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up concern? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games