Link Centre Dictionary

worry

UK/ˈwʌɹɪj/ US/ˈwʌ.ɹi/ very common
verb (6) noun (2)

verb

1.

be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy

  • “I worry about my job”
2.

be concerned with

  • “I worry about my grades”
Synonyms
3.

disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress

  • “I cannot sleep--my daughter”
Synonyms
Antonyms
4.

be on the mind of

  • “I worry about the second Germanic consonant”
Synonyms
5.

lacerate by biting

  • “the dog worried his bone”
6.

touch or rub constantly

  • “The old man worried his beads”

noun

1.

something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

  • “New York traffic is a constant concern”
  • “it”
Synonyms
2.

a strong feeling of anxiety

  • “his worry over the prospect of being fired”
  • “it is not work but worry that kills”
  • “he wanted to die and end his troubles”
Synonyms

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • a worry shared is a worry halved
  • don't worry
  • don't worry your pretty little head
  • muffin worry
  • not to worry
  • worry along
  • worry back
  • worry beads
  • worry down
  • worry line
  • worry someone sick
  • worry stone

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.