Worry — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈwər-ē/ wor·ry

Meaning & Definition of Worry

Worry (verb)

  1. to afflict with mental distress or agitation, make anxious
  2. to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping especially at the throat
  3. to shake or pull at with the teeth

Worry (noun)

  1. mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated, anxiety
  2. an instance or occurrence of such distress or agitation
  3. a cause of worry, trouble, difficulty

Worry (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to experience concern or anxiety

    "they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved"

    similar: bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, trouble, give a hang, sweat blood
    related: agonize, long, pine, yearn, chafe, despair
    near: accept, abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate

  2. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "those strange noises outside the house worry me"

    similar: agitate, ail, alarm, bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out
    related: aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy, exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil, haunt, plague, abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve
    opposite: calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize
    near: allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

Worry (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: agita, agitation, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, concernment, disquiet, disquietude, fear, nervosity, nervousness, perturbation, solicitude, sweat, unease, uneasiness
    related: strain, stress, tension, alarm, anguish, consternation, desperateness, desperation, discomfort, discomposure, dismay, distraction, distress, disturbance, edginess, franticness, hand-wringing, jitters, jumpiness, panic, tremor, angst, fearfulness, torment, upset, vexation, cold feet, doubt, dread, foreboding, incertitude, misgiving, presentiment, suspense, uncertainty, compunction, qualm, scruple
    opposite: unconcern
    near: calm, calmness, content, contentment, ease, easiness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quiet, quietude, sereneness, serenity, tranquility, tranquilness, comfort, consolation, relief, solace

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Worry

The most common words with a similar meaning to Worry:

bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, trouble, agitate, ail, alarm, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, give a hang, sweat blood, agita, agitation, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Worry

Words with the opposite meaning of Worry:

calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize, unconcern

Related Words for Worry

agonize, long, pine, yearn, chafe, despair, aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chivy, exasperate, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil, haunt, plague

Near Antonyms of Worry

accept, abide, bear, endure, stick out, stomach, sustain, take, tolerate, allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, calmness, content, contentment, ease, easiness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quietude, sereneness, serenity

Word Forms of Worry

Inflections: worried, worrying, worries

Derived words: worrier (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Worry

Middle English worien, from Old English wyrgan; akin to Old High German wurgen to strangle, Lithuanian veržti to constrict

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Worry

Words & Phrases Containing Worry

worry beads, worry line, worry at, worry (oneself) sick, nothing to worry about, not to worry, not worry oneself, sick with worry

Frequently Asked Questions about Worry

What does "Worry" mean?

"Worry" means to afflict with mental distress or agitation, make anxious. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to afflict with mental distress or agitation, make anxious. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Worry"?

Other words for "Worry" include bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat and trouble. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Worry" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Worry"?

There are 131 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Worry". Common alternatives include bother, fear, fret, fuss, stew, stress, sweat, trouble, agitate and ail.

What is the opposite of "Worry"?

Antonyms of "Worry" include calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize and unconcern. Near antonyms include accept, abide, bear and endure.

How do you use "Worry" in a sentence?

Examples of "Worry" in a sentence: "they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved"; "those strange noises outside the house worry me"; "she can only concentrate on something when she is free of worry".

Is "Worry" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Worry" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Worry" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Worry" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Worry"?

"Worry" is pronounced /ˈwər-ē/ and divided into syllables as wor·ry.