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worry Meaning & Definition

/ˈwʌɹ.i/

What Does Worry Mean?

Worry is used as a verb meaning To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt. It can also mean Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise. As a noun, it means A strong feeling of anxiety.

Worry in Brief

Part of speechverb, noun
Pronunciation//ˈwʌɹ.i//
Syllables1
Synonymsvexation, distress and brood
Antonymsassure and reassure
Pluralworries
Verb formsworries, worrying, worried

Worry Definition (Verb)

  1. To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.
  2. Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.

    Your tone of voice worries me.

  3. To harass; to irritate or distress.

    The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.

  4. To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.

    Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.

  5. To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.
  6. To strangle.

Worry as a Noun

  1. A strong feeling of anxiety.

    I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night.

  2. An instance or cause of such a feeling.

    My main worry is that I'll miss the train.

  3. A person who causes worry.

Verb

  1. Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress.

    Your tone of voice worries me.

Synonyms of Worry

Worry synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Worry

Worry in a Sentence

Your tone of voice worries me.

The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.

Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.

I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night.

My main worry is that I'll miss the train.

Stop worrying about your test, it’ll be fine.

Word Forms & Grammar

worry (third-person singular simple present worries, present participle worrying, simple past and past participle worried)

worry (countable and uncountable, plural worries)

Words That Rhyme With Worry

flurryslurryhurryfurryburryblurrysurreygurrycurriesirreepurreecurreydemeryamateur hebeuryblur hebur hechauffeur hechurryconnoisseur hecurrydemoryentrepreneur heer eer hefer hefluryfriefur heher he

Origin of Worry

Origin 1: From Middle English worien (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-West Germanic *wurgijan, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”).

Origin 2: 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.

Pronouncing Worry

You say worry as //ˈwʌɹ.i//. It has 1 syllable.

Quick Answers About Worry

Is worry a verb or a noun?

Worry is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.

What is another word for worry?

Words with a similar meaning to worry include vexation, distress and brood. See the full list of worry synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of worry?

Antonyms of worry include assure and reassure.

What is the plural of worry?

The plural of worry is worries.

What is the past tense of worry?

The past tense of worry is worried. The present participle is worrying.

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