What does "worry" mean?
A strong feeling of anxiety.
Worry
/ˈwʌ.ɹi/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A strong feeling of anxiety.
- Grammar: worry is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: concern, ado, afflict, aggravate.
- Useful contrasts: calm classroom, carefree mood, spanish tranquilidad.
- Usage evidence: You don't need to worry about such a thing.
How to use "worry"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "worry" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "worry" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "worry" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "worry" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "worry" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "concern" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "worry", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A strong feeling of anxiety. countable, uncountable
"I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night."
- 2 something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness wordnet
- 3 An instance or cause of such a feeling. countable, uncountable
"My main worry is that I'll miss the train."
- 4 a strong feeling of anxiety wordnet
- 5 A person who causes worry. countable, uncountable
"They could never make him speak a word, although he was old enough, in short, he was a perfect worry night and day."
Verb
- 1 To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt. intransitive
"So you go along for a long time / And nothing seems to worry your mind / But what it adds up to / It's the side effect / That finally gets to you"
- 2 touch or rub constantly wordnet
- 3 Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise. transitive
"Your tone of voice worries me."
- 4 lacerate by biting wordnet
- 5 To harass; to irritate or distress. transitive
"The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress wordnet
- 7 To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf. transitive
"Your dog’s been worrying sheep again."
- 8 be concerned with wordnet
- 9 To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with. transitive
"Christian paced the caravan, worrying his beard."
- 10 be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy wordnet
- 11 To strangle. Scotland, obsolete, transitive
"We read (Law's Memor. Pref. lix.) that "one John Brugh, a notorious warlock (wizard) in the parochin of Fossoquhy, by the space of thirty-six years, was worried at a stake and burned, 1643.""
- 12 be on the mind of wordnet
Antonyms
calm classroomcarefree moodspanish tranquilidadsteady characteristic
Example
"You don't need to worry about such a thing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "worry"?
Common synonyms include: concern, ado, afflict, aggravate, aggravation, aggrieve.
How do you use "worry" in a sentence?
You don't need to worry about such a thing.
How do you pronounce "worry"?
Pronounced /ˈwʌ.ɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English worien, werien, wirien, wirwen, wyryȝen (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”). Cognate with Dutch worgen, wurgen, German würgen. Compare Latin urgere (“to press, push”), Sanskrit वृहति (vṛhati, “to tear out, pluck”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string; squeeze”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”). Related to wring.