worry

UK: /ˈwʌri/ US: /ˈwɜri, ˈwʌr-/ ,(wûr′ē, wur′ē)

Inflections of 'worry' (n): npl: worries

Inflections of 'worry' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

worries

v 3rd person singular

worrying

v pres p

worried

v past

worried

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

wor•ry /ˈwɜri, ˈwʌr-/   v., -ried, -ry•ing, n., pl. -ries. 
v. 

1. to (cause to) feel or be uneasy or anxious: [no object]
   He worries about his kids.
   [~ + object]
   The high cost of college worries them.
   [It + ~ + object + that clause]
   It worries me that you might not pass the test.
   [It + ~ + object + to + verb]
   It worries me to think of your going home alone every night.
2. to subject to persistent attention or scrutiny:
   [~ + object] He worries the problem too much.
3. Animal Behavior (of animals) to seize with the teeth and shake or mangle:
   [~ + object] worrying a bone.
4. to touch or adjust over and over again:
   [~ + object] worrying the loose button of his jacket.

n. 

5. uneasiness or anxiety:
   [uncountable] full of worry.
6. a cause of worry:
   [countable] Money is their biggest worry.

wor•ri•er, n. [countable]
wor•ry•ing•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

wor•ry  (wûr′ē, wur′ē), v., -ried, -ry•ing, n., pl. -ries. 
v.i. 

1. to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts;
   fret.
2. to move with effort:
   an old car worrying uphill.

v.t. 

3. to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.;
   trouble;
   plague.
4. Animal Behavior to seize, esp. by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.
5. to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.
6. worry along or through, [Informal.] to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty:
   to worry through an intolerable situation.

n. 

7. a worried condition or feeling;
   uneasiness or anxiety.
8. a cause of uneasiness or anxiety;
   trouble.
9. act of worrying.
10. Sport [Fox Hunting.] the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.

• bef. 900; Middle English weryen, werwen, wyrwyn to strangle, bite, harass, Old English wyrgan to strangle; cognate with German würgen

wor′ri•er, n. 
wor′ri•less, adj. 
wor′ry•ing•ly, adv. 
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.
• 7. apprehension, solicitude, disquiet, misgiving, fear. See concern. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

worry / ˈwʌrɪ/ verb ( -ries, -rying, -ried)

1. to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous
2. (transitive) to disturb the peace of mind of; bother: don't worry me with trivialities
3. (intr; often followed by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties
4. (intransitive) often followed by away: to struggle or work: to worry away at a problem
5. (transitive) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc
6. when intr, followed by at: to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teeth: a dog worrying a bone
7. (transitive) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly
8. not to worry ⇒ you need not worry

noun ( -ries)

1. a state or feeling of anxiety
2. a person or thing that causes anxiety
3. an act of worrying
4. no worries ⇒ an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem

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

ˈworrying adjective

ˈworryingly adverb