Worry Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Definition of worry ; 1 · strangle, choke ; 2 · to move, proceed, or progress by unceasing or difficult effort : struggle ; 3 · to feel or experience concern or ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut worry verb SaveWord wor·​ry |\ˈwər-ē ,ˈwə-rē\ worried;worrying Definitionofworry (Entry1of2) transitiveverb 1 dialectalBritish :choke,strangle 2a :toharassbytearing,biting,orsnappingespeciallyatthethroat b :toshakeorpullatwiththeteeth aterrierworryingarat c :totouchordisturbsomethingrepeatedly d :tochangethepositionoforadjustbyrepeatedpushingorhauling 3a :toassailwithroughoraggressiveattackortreatment:torment b :tosubjecttopersistentornaggingattentionoreffort 4 :toafflictwithmentaldistressoragitation:makeanxious intransitiveverb 1 dialectalBritish :strangle,choke 2 :tomove,proceed,orprogressbyunceasingordifficulteffort:struggle 3 :tofeelorexperienceconcernoranxiety:fret worryingabouthishealth worry noun pluralworries Definitionofworry (Entry2of2) 1a :mentaldistressoragitationresultingfromconcernusuallyforsomethingimpendingoranticipated:anxiety b :aninstanceoroccurrenceofsuchdistressoragitation 2 :acauseofworry:trouble,difficulty OtherWordsfromworry Synonyms&Antonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutworry OtherWordsfromworry Verb worrier \ ˈwər-​ē-​ər ,ˈwə-​rē-​ \ noun Synonyms&Antonymsforworry Synonyms:Verb bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, trouble Synonyms:Noun agita, agitation, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervosity, nervousness, perturbation, solicitude, sweat, unease, uneasiness Antonyms:Noun unconcern VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforworry Verb worry,annoy,harass,harry,plague,pester,teasemeantodisturborirritatebypersistentacts.worryimpliesanincessantgoadingorattackingthatdrivesonetodesperation. pursuedapolicyofworryingtheenemy annoyimpliesdisturbingone'scomposureorpeaceofmindbyintrusion,interference,orpettyattacks. you'redoingthatjusttoannoyme harassimpliespettypersecutionsorburdensomedemandsthatexhaustone'snervousormentalpower. harassedonallsidesbycreditors harrymayimplyheavyoppressionormaltreatment. thestrikershadbeenharriedbythugs plagueimpliesapainfulandpersistentaffliction. plaguedallherlifebypoverty pesterstressestherepetitionofpettyattacks. constantlypesteredwithtrivialcomplaints teasesuggestsanattempttobreakdownone'sresistanceorrousetowrath. childrenteasedthedog Noun care,concern,solicitude,anxiety,worrymeanatroubledorengrossedstateofmindorthethingthatcausesthis.careimpliesoppressionofthemindweigheddownbyresponsibilityordisquietedbyapprehension. afacewornbyyearsofcare concernimpliesatroubledstateofmindbecauseofpersonalinterest,relation,oraffection. crimescausedconcernintheneighborhood solicitudeimpliesgreatconcernandconnoteseitherthoughtfulorhoveringattentivenesstowardanother. actedwithtypicalmaternalsolicitude anxietystressesanguisheduncertaintyorfearofmisfortuneorfailure. plaguedbyanxietyandself-doubt worrysuggestsfrettingovermattersthatmayormaynotberealcauseforanxiety. financialworries ExamplesofworryinaSentence Verb Wedidn'twantyoutoworry. Don'tworry.You'llbefine. Don'tmakeyourparentsworry. Whentheydidn'tcallaftertwohours,webegantoworry. Theywerefine.Weneedn'thaveworried. Hispoorhealthworriesme. Itdoesn'tseemtoworryhimthatrainisintheforecast. Wedidn'ttellyouabouttheaccidentbecausewedidn'twanttoworryyou. Noun Shefinallyendedmonthsofworryoverhercreditcarddebtwhenshefinishedpayingoffherbill. Hishighbloodpressureiscauseforworry. Ourgreatestworryisthatshe'llgetlost. Hisonlyworryrightnowisgettingtotheairportontime. Hismother'shealthisaconstantworry. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb DuBosedidn’twanttoworryhiswife,Cynthia,withhisanxiety. — ArielHart,ajc,3Jan.2022 Hermainjobthesedaysseemstobetellingthepublicnottoworryaboutinflation. — TheEditorialBoard,WSJ,2Jan.2022 Ahalf-dozenstudents,amongthemOmarDomínguez,begantoworryaboutthelittlefishthatfitinthepalmofahandandhadonlyeverbeenseenintheTeuchitlánriver. — MariaVerza,TheChristianScienceMonitor,2Jan.2022 Withlodgingandwinteractivitiestakencareof,theonlythinglefttoconsiderisdiningandvisitorsdon’thavetoworryaboutthateither. — GerryFrank|ForTheOregonian/oregonlive,oregonlive,1Jan.2022 ThelawtakeseffectJan.1butwillbephasedinoverthenextfewyears,socitiesandcountiesdon’thavetoworryaboutfinesjustyet. — LosAngelesTimes,30Dec.2021 Covid-19turnedtheworldupsidedowntwolongyearsago,andtheomicronvariantisgivingussomethingnewtoworryaboutinthecomingyear. — NBCNews,30Dec.2021 Reidwasknownforbeingfrankandblunt,neveronetoworryaboutpoliticalcorrectness. — DevinDwyer,ABCNews,29Dec.2021 TheReidwaywasnottoworryaboutwinningoveraffectionandnicetiesandkudos. — FaizShakir,TheNewRepublic,29Dec.2021 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun Theworryisespeciallyacuteasinflationappearstoberisingstill. — B.JosephPineIi,WSJ,5Jan.2022 WhenLawrencewasfirstcastastheleadintheadaptationofSuzanneCollins’sYAnovels,theworrywasthattheyoung,fiercelytalentedactressmightnotbereadyforthehugespotlightabouttobeplacedonher. — TimGrierson,Vulture,29Dec.2021 Theworry,Bowmansaid,isthatdeercouldholdthevirusandbeasourcetoinfecthumansinthefuture. — SeanMcdonnell,cleveland,24Dec.2021 ThebiggestworryisthatOmicroncouldspreadsofastthatsomehospitalscouldstillbeoverwhelmed. — LosAngelesTimes,24Dec.2021 Theworrysomeadvisershaveisthattaxreimbursementclausescaneasilybemishandled. — MartinShenkman,Forbes,12Dec.2021 Theworryforsomecouplesisthatauthoritiescouldturntomoreforcefulorrestrictivemeasuresakintothoseusedtoenforcetheone-childpolicy. — WashingtonPost,9Dec.2021 Thewholecitycatastrophicallyflooded,butthebiggestworryfortheWebbteamwastheliquidnitrogensupply. — QuantaMagazine,3Dec.2021 Theworryisthatifpeoplebegintoexpectafasterpaceofinflation,workerswilldemandhigherpaytocoverit—andemployerswillraisepricesfurthertopayforthoseraises. — NewYorkTimes,28Nov.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'worry.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofworry Verb beforethe12thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedattransitivesense1Noun 1804,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1a HistoryandEtymologyforworry Verb MiddleEnglishworien,fromOldEnglishwyrgan;akintoOldHighGermanwurgentostrangle,Lithuanianveržtitoconstrict LearnMoreAboutworry Shareworry PosttheDefinitionofworrytoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofworryonTwitter TimeTravelerforworry Thefirstknownuseofworrywas beforethe12thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNearworry worrit worry worryat SeeMoreNearbyEntries  PhrasesRelatedtoworry gooutofone'smindwithworry noworries nottoworry Statisticsforworry LastUpdated 7Jan2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Worry.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worry.Accessed15Jan.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforworry worry verb EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofworry (Entry1of2) :tothinkaboutproblemsorfears:tofeelorshowfearandconcernbecauseyouthinkthatsomethingbadhashappenedorcouldhappen :tomake(someone)anxiousorupset:tocause(someone)toworry worry noun EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofworry (Entry2of2) :afeelingofconcernaboutsomethingbadthatmighthappen:thestateorconditionofworryingaboutsomething:anxiety :aproblemorconcern:somethingthatcausesyoutobeworried SeethefulldefinitionforworryintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary worry verb wor·​ry |\ˈwər-ē \ worried;worrying KidsDefinitionofworry (Entry1of2) 1 :tofeelorexpressgreatconcern IworryaboutGrandma'shealth. 2 :tomakeanxiousorupset Thechild'sillnessworriedhisparents. 3 :toshakeandtearwiththeteeth Thepuppywasworryinganoldshoe. OtherWordsfromworry worrier \ -​ē-​ər \ noun worry noun pluralworries KidsDefinitionofworry (Entry2of2) 1 :concernaboutsomethingthatmighthappen:anxiety Therewasnoplayfulness…justasense…ofworry.—LoisLowry,NumbertheStars 2 :acauseofgreatconcern Herpoorgradesareaworrytoherparents. MorefromMerriam-Websteronworry Nglish:TranslationofworryforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofworryforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY euphemism SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary NamethatThing:FlowerEdition Namethatflower amaryllis chrysanthemum hydrangea hyacinth Canyouspellthese10commonlymisspelledwords? TAKETHEQUIZ Adailychallengeforcrosswordfanatics. TAKETHEQUIZ SubscribetoAmerica'slargestdictionaryandgetthousandsmoredefinitionsandadvancedsearch—adfree! Merriam-Websterunabridged WordsatPlay “InVinoVeritas”andOtherLatinPhrasestoLiveBy Top10LatinPhrases 8ColorsfromtheBiggerCrayonBox Here'swherethosefancyshadesgettheirnames. 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