WORRIED Synonyms: 183 Similar and Opposite Words

worried 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwər-ēd

Definition of worried

as in upset

feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty the soldier's father had a worried expression as he listened to the news

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worried

2 of 2

verb

past tense of worry

as in feared

to experience concern or anxiety they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in alarmed

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy those strange noises outside the house worry me

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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 worried

Adjective

The deal surely relieves investors who were worried that Apple was trying to move even more silicon production in-house at the expense of key suppliers like Broadcom. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 7 July 2026 While these victories may not matter in deep-blue districts, Liasson says some Democrats are worried that swing states and districts could be nominating candidates who are too far left to win. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 6 July 2026

Verb

But some in the party worried that giving Platner a say in the decision would undercut the new nominee. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 Carter had been weakened by the Iran hostage crisis, which had riveted the country for the previous year, but the Reagan campaign worried that if Carter secured a hostage release just before voters headed to the polls, the election would be his. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for worried

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worried

Adjective

Black children experience higher rates of lactose intolerance, which meant many of my kids went the entire school day without clean, safe drinking water and instead milk that gave them an upset stomach.

— Joe Holberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Many party insiders thought Larson would cruise to victory at the party’s nominating convention, but Bronin pulled a stunning upset that sent shock waves through the Connecticut political establishment.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026

Definition of upset

Verb

Amid the inextricable trauma of losing her 18-year-old child, the mother had feared that traditional funeral customs might be handled differently because of the manner in which her daughter died.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Thousands of people are feared dead as the official death toll continues to rise and hope diminishes for finding survivors in the rubble.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 July 2026

Definition of feared

Adjective

The looming project was why Purohit was nervous to move her mother into Silverado last winter.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
For most of the last decade the threat argument was a transatlantic one, with a nervous eastern flank pulling against a distracted west.

— Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of nervous

Verb

But the recent action on Anthropic, as well as asking OpenAI to limit its own newest model, comes after experts have fretted for months that Mythos could pose a security risk by giving hackers and other bad actors access to AI capable of finding and exploiting vulnerabilities exceptionally quickly.

— Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 27 June 2026
Copilot has struggled, and Microsoft’s shares are down double-digits in the past year as investors have fretted over AI’s impact on software, Microsoft’s reliance on OpenAI, and its heavy data center spending.

— Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 27 June 2026

Definition of fretted

Verb

The turnout that many were concerned had also been hurt by high ticket prices ended up being better than those first projections.

— Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
But, as far as New Mexico’s place on the primary calendar was concerned, the committee member had a different idea.

— Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 10 July 2026

Definition of concerned

Adjective

Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid's implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
America’s centennial in 1876 was celebrated with a grand exhibition that projected an image of national unity and inventiveness in the anxious aftermath of civil war and recession.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026

Definition of anxious

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“Worried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worried. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of worried

adjective

verb

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