WORRY Synonyms: 179 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'worry' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of worry are annoy , harass , harry , pester , plague , and tease . While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation. // pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Q: When can 'annoy' be used instead of 'worry'?

The words annoy and worry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks. // you're doing that just to annoy me

Q: When is 'harass' a more appropriate choice than 'worry'?

The meanings of harass and worry largely overlap; however, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power. // harassed on all sides by creditors

Q: When would 'harry' be a good substitute for 'worry'?

While the synonyms harry and worry are close in meaning, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment. // the strikers had been harried by thugs

Q: When could 'pester' be used to replace 'worry'?

The words pester and worry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks. // constantly pestered with trivial complaints

Q: In what contexts can 'plague' take the place of 'worry'?

Although the words plague and worry have much in common, plague implies a painful and persistent affliction. // plagued all her life by poverty

Q: When is it sensible to use 'tease' instead of 'worry'?

In some situations, the words tease and worry are roughly equivalent. However, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath. // children teased the dog

worry 1 of 2

verb

ˈwər-ē

Definition of worry

as in to fret

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to bother

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

worry

2 of 2

noun

as in fear

an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble she can only concentrate on something when she is free of worry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb worry contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of worry are annoy, harass, harry, pester, plague, and tease. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

When can annoy be used instead of worry?

The words annoy and worry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When is harass a more appropriate choice than worry?

The meanings of harass and worry largely overlap; however, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When would harry be a good substitute for worry?

While the synonyms harry and worry are close in meaning, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When could pester be used to replace worry?

The words pester and worry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

In what contexts can plague take the place of worry?

Although the words plague and worry have much in common, plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use tease instead of worry?

In some situations, the words tease and worry are roughly equivalent. However, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

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 worry

Verb

Best All-Around Wine Glasses The generously sized bowls of these LSA International wine glasses leave plenty of room for a proper pour (and an enthusiastic swirl without worrying about spilling over the rim). — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026 But by the fall of 2022, Ukraine had seized the offensive, liberating so much territory once held by Russian troops that Washington worried Putin might use a nuclear weapon to stop Ukrainian advances. — Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2026

Noun

The bedrooms in the main trullo were curtained off from the living room—don’t worry, the bathroom had a door—and the advertised AC units were only in the outbuildings. — Rachel Fletcher, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Oct. 2026 Expectations for big growth are what allowed stock prices to run to records recently despite worries about high inflation, high interest rates and other concerns. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for worry

Verb

The foursome fret and fuss over one another, mostly because of their opposing political views.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Shares of CoreWeave plunged more than 15% on Wednesday as investors fret over the company's outsized borrowing.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of fret

Verb

The mathematics and computer science graduate, who spent two years in the Peace Corps, launched Netflix by mailing DVDs in red envelopes to customers bothered by Blockbuster Video chain’s practices and late fees.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Some people, like me, are bothered by such images but can mostly ignore them.

— Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of bother

Noun

Fortune recently reported on wealthy parents’ growing fear that their fortunes will sap their children’s drive.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Coupled with job-displacement fears from AI, opponents now point to the facilities as a physical symbol of who benefits from the boom and who gets stuck with the bill.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of fear

Verb

And even for those who are just ordinarily stressed, being around horses can be calming and restorative — part of a somatic healing approach, which focuses on how the body holds on to emotions.

— Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
And not to stress anybody out further, but high cortisol suppresses your immune system and increases inflammation, both of which lead to things like quicker aging and poor long-term health outcomes.

— Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stress

Verb

Andriesz’s death comes four months after the BBC aired a news documentary featuring him and his allegations concerning Lutnick’s ties to Epstein.

— Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
This can be particularly concerning for people dealing with stalking, harassment or threats.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Noun

Research has also found that across generational groups, greater user tendency to engage in social comparison, together with greater maladaptive ways of coping with emotions, is associated with more symptoms of anger, anxiety, and depression.

— Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
The market for profiting off male body anxiety is nothing new.

— Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Verb

Perhaps only a pedant—or a hypocrite—would fuss about that kind of imprecision.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
If the offensive line’s healthy again, RB Saquon Barkley will ramble again, broadening QB Jalen Hurts’ margin for error and being fussed at by the coaching staff.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of fuss

Verb

An officer responded to PSA, and police said about two pallets of cards were stolen from the truck and a third was disturbed.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
On vehicles with a dedicated secondary passenger display, front passengers can browse, view lyrics, and watch video content without disturbing the driver.

— Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturb

Browse Nearby Words

worrisome

worry

worrying

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Style

“Worry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worry. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of worry

verb

noun

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