concern 1 of 2

concern

2 of 2

verb

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2
as in to affect
to be the business or affair of the problems of air and water pollution that concern all of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word concern distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of concern are anxiety, care, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When could anxiety be used to replace concern?

In some situations, the words anxiety and concern are roughly equivalent. However, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

When is care a more appropriate choice than concern?

The words care and concern are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can solicitude be used instead of concern?

The synonyms solicitude and concern are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When is it sensible to use worry instead of concern?

While the synonyms worry and concern are close in meaning, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of concern
Noun
In a separate letter to BNSF customers on Monday, executive vice president and chief marketing officer Tom Williams highlighted concerns about possible service disruptions. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Oct. 2025 Mutharika stepped down in 2020 after his victory was nullified over electoral fraud concerns. Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
That really concerned me, seeing a mother and daughter walking together in the yard. Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025 So far, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the Chiefs. Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for concern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concern
Noun
  • But its lawmakers said these products needed regulation for the interest of public health and safety.
    Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Jack Cutmore-Scott as Julius Beaufort, an arrogant new money banker at the center of New York society with an interest in Ellen.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Shanen Wright, 48, a lifelong Charleston resident who lives near CAMC Memorial, said many in the city have little worry about flooding in the face of more immediate problems, like the opioid epidemic and the decline of manufacturing and mining.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Rising worries During the Milken Institute Asia Summit, other experts warned that retail inflows could distort pricing, erode returns and destabilize fund structures designed for long-term investments or patient capital.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The debilitating long-term illness affects millions worldwide, including more than 400,000 people in the UK, but has long lacked a definitive diagnostic tool.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Workers deemed non-essential are often furloughed, affecting the National Parks Service, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.
    Book Marks October 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
  • But Bob Say, owner of Los Angeles’ Freakbeat Records, for one, isn’t all that bothered.
    Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • So, while firing a worker solely for a statement or a belief may be shortsighted, companies can and will take action when employee behavior erodes trust, respect, or collaboration.
    Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • When several residents received such offers, rumors about the company’s intentions quickly swirled.
    Miranda Dunlap, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The fear was that Jayden Daniels would be limited, that the brace on his left knee — or the knee itself — would hinder his running or his elusiveness, eliminate his quick cuts or somehow slow him down.
    Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Colangelo added that, in these depictions, the fear of transness is more present than the fear of being killed.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This decadent dish included Maltina beef, braised greens, and party jollof.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Concern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concern. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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