worry

Synonyms
3. tease, harry, hector, badger, disquiet. Worry, annoy, harass all mean to disturb or interfere with someone's comfort or peace of mind. To worry is to cause anxiety, apprehension, or care: to worry one's parents. To annoy is to vex or irritate by continued repetition of interferences: to annoy the neighbors. Harass implies long-continued worry and annoyance: Cares of office harass a president. 6. apprehension, solicitude, disquiet, misgiving, fear. See concern.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source

Link To worry

Collins

World English Dictionary

worry (ˈwʌrɪ)

—vb (often foll by away) (when intr, foll by at) , -ries, -rying, -ried
1.	to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous
2.	(tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; bother: don't worry me with trivialities
3.	(intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties
4.	to struggle or work: to worry away at a problem
5.	(tr) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc
6.	to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teeth: a dog worrying a bone
7.	(tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushes: they worried the log into the river
8.	(tr) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly
9.	obsolete to choke or cause to choke
10.	informal not to worry you need not worry

—n , -ries, -rying, -ried, -ries
11.	a state or feeling of anxiety
12.	a person or thing that causes anxiety
13.	an act of worrying
14.	informal no worries an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem

[Old English wyrgan; related to Old Frisian wergia to kill, Old High German wurgen (German (er)würgen to strangle), Old Norse virgill, urga rope]

'worrying

—*adj*

'worryingly

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

worry

O.E. wyrgan "to strangle," from W.Gmc. *wurgijanan (cf. M.Du. worghen, Du. worgen, O.H.G. wurgen, Ger. würgen "to strangle," O.N. virgill "rope"), from PIE *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). The oldest sense was obs. in Eng. after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first

recorded 1671, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1553), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intrans. sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.

worry

1804, from worry (v.). Worrisome is first recorded 1845. Worry wart first recorded 1956, from comic strip "Out Our Way" by U.S. cartoonist J.R. Williams (1888-1957). According to those familiar with the strip, Worry Wart was the name of a character who caused others to worry,

which is the inverse of the current colloq. meaning.

Example sentences

While our hopes for and fears of robots may be overblown, there is plenty to

worry about as automation progresses.

Manufacturers and factory owners needn't worry about pesky human workers for

too much longer.

History also suggests that the income gaps that worry governments will narrow.

But worry not-the plan is to switch out some artifacts with other pieces in the

collections.

Upgrade to Ad-free Premium Membership!

insouciant mind stew torment worry beads worrywart

Slang

Not to worry

worry wart

Matching Quote

"Now comes this Russian diversion. If it is more than just that it will mean the liberation of Europe from Nazi domination—and at the same time I do not think we need to worry about the possibility of any Russian domination."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt