Synonyms of worry

worry 1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈwər-ē 

1

as in to fret

to experience concern or anxiety

they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fret
• fear
• stress
• fuss
• sweat
• trouble
• bother
• stew
• give a hang
• agonize
• long
• sweat blood
• despair
• pine
• yearn
• chafe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• take
• tolerate
• endure
• bear
• abide
• sustain
• stomach
• stick out

2

as in to bother

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

those strange noises outside the house worry me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bother
• concern
• disturb
• alarm
• distract
• anger
• upset
• distress
• agitate
• unsettle
• discomfort
• plague
• annoy
• dismay
• haunt
• disquiet
• confuse
• fuss
• irritate
• derail
• discompose
• ail
• exercise
• perturb
• undo
• flurry
• freak (out)
• unhinge
• rattle
• embarrass
• fret
• bug
• weird out
• distemper
• exasperate
• aggravate
• irk
• frazzle
• discourage
• hagride
• harass
• vex
• chafe
• pester
• rile
• put off
• fluster
• harry
• put out
• pique
• grate
• get
• bedevil
• peeve
• faze
• gall
• shake up
• discomfit
• disconcert
• confound
• daunt
• mortify
• nettle
• dishearten
• unnerve
• abash
• discountenance
• jar
• chivy
• demoralize
• dispirit
• nonplus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• settle
• calm
• soothe
• quiet
• alleviate
• compose
• allay
• assuage
• tranquilize
• appease
• placate
• pacify
• mollify
• conciliate
• propitiate

worry

2 of 3

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

• fear
• concern
• anxiety
• unease
• concernment
• uncertainty
• uneasiness
• nervousness
• apprehension
• fearfulness
• doubt
• agitation
• tension
• panic
• care
• disquiet
• disquietude
• discomfort
• stress
• apprehensiveness
• anxiousness
• dread
• sweat
• perturbation
• solicitude
• desperation
• anguish
• agita
• dismay
• nervosity
• upset
• distress
• disturbance
• tremor
• desperateness
• strain
• jitters
• consternation
• alarm
• angst
• suspense
• torment
• qualm
• distraction
• misgiving
• hand-wringing
• vexation
• presentiment
• jumpiness
• compunction
• discomposure
• franticness
• scruple
• edginess
• cold feet
• foreboding
• incertitude

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unconcern
• ease
• content
• peace
• contentment
• calm
• quiet
• relief
• calmness
• serenity
• easiness
• tranquility
• quietude
• comfort
• consolation
• peacefulness
• placidity
• solace
• placidness
• tranquilness
• sereneness

worrying

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of worry

1

as in fretting

to experience concern or anxiety

they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fretting
• stressing
• fearing
• sweating
• fussing
• troubling
• bothering
• stewing
• agonizing
• giving a hang
• sweating blood
• longing
• yearning
• pining
• despairing
• chafing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accepting
• taking
• tolerating
• sustaining
• enduring
• bearing
• abiding
• sticking out
• stomaching

2

as in bothering

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

those strange noises outside the house worry me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bothering
• alarming
• disturbing
• distracting
• concerning
• unsettling
• upsetting
• distressing
• angering
• agitating
• annoying
• haunting
• plaguing
• dismaying
• disquieting
• discomforting
• irritating
• perturbing
• fussing
• confusing
• undoing
• exercising
• ailing
• embarrassing
• bugging
• derailing
• rattling
• unhinging
• freaking (out)
• aggravating
• exasperating
• flurrying
• fretting
• discomposing
• discouraging
• frazzling
• harassing
• irking
• vexing
• distempering
• hagriding
• weirding out
• pestering
• disconcerting
• harrying
• galling
• chafing
• nettling
• getting
• grating
• riling
• discomfiting
• mortifying
• unnerving
• putting off
• jarring
• bedeviling
• piquing
• peeving
• putting out
• confounding
• disheartening
• flustering
• chivying
• daunting
• demoralizing
• discountenancing
• dispiriting
• shaking up
• nonplussing
• fazing
• abashing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• composing
• settling
• calming
• soothing
• quieting
• alleviating
• allaying
• tranquilizing
• appeasing
• placating
• assuaging
• pacifying
• conciliating
• mollifying
• propitiating

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

Recent Examples of worry

Verb

While some analysts had worried about belt-tightening by lower-income customers, Niccol said Starbucks saw gains in visits across all income levels. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026

Hospitals also worry an increase in uninsured patients will hurt their bottom lines, said Jeremy Nordquist, the president and CEO of the Nebraska Hospital Association. —Phil Galewitz, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026

Noun

Whether a handsy jockey, who hung on a horse’s mouth rather than riding him, paid him any mind was the least of his worries. —Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026

If Ekwonu decides to look for something more long-term, the Panthers can just stick with Freeling on the left side and Moton on the right in 2027 with little worry. —Mike Kaye april 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026

Verb

The technology intentionally comes lacking a human face, and its evangelists have both over-promised regarding what the tools can do in the short term while worrying people about the long-term societal impacts. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2026

In fact, worrying about losing a job can take a similar toll on well-being as the worst-case scenario of actually losing a job. —Claire Zillman, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026