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   Wor·ry

   /ˈwərē/

   

   verb

   • 1. give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles: "he worried about his soldier sons in the war" Similar fretbe worriedbe concernedbe anxiousagonizebrooddwell onpanicget in a paniclose sleepget worked upget in a flusterget overwroughtbe on tenterhooksinformal:have butterflies in one's stomachget stressedget in a flapget in a stateget in a tizz/tizzyget in a sweatsweatget steamed upget in a latherstewtorture oneselftorment oneselfbe in a blue funk
   • ▪ cause annoyance to: "the noise never really stops, but it doesn't worry me" Similar troublebothercause anxietymake anxiousdisturbdistressupsetconcerndisquietdiscomposefretagitateunsettleperturbfrightenalarmscareflusterflurrystressstraintaxharasstormentplaguebedevilbesiegeirkvexprey on one's mindweigh heavily on one's mindweigh downoppressburdenbe a great weight onlie heavy ongnaw atinformal:hasslegive someone a hard timethrowfazerattlebugget todo someone's head indiscombobulatemess with someone's head
   • ▪ cause to feel anxiety or concern: "there was no need to worry her"
   • 2. (of a dog or other carnivorous animal) tear at, gnaw on, or drag around with the teeth: "I found my dog contentedly worrying a bone"
   • ▪ (of a dog) chase and attack (livestock, especially sheep): "a farmer shot a dog that had been worrying sheep" Similar attacksavagemaulmutilatemanglego fortear attear to piecesclawbitegnaw atlacerateshakepull atmolesttormentpersecute

   noun

   • 1. a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems: "he's demented with worry" Similar anxietydisturbanceperturbationtroublebotherdistressconcerncareupsetuneasinessuneasedisquietdisquietudedisconcertmentfretfulnessrestlessnessnervousnessnervesagitationedginesstensiontensenessstressstrainapprehensionfearfearfulnessdreadforebodingtrepidationmisgivingangstinformal:butterflies (in the stomach)the williesthe heebie-jeebiesthe shakesthe jumpsjitterinesstwitchiness
   • ▪ a source of anxiety: "the idea is to secure peace of mind for people whose greatest worry is fear of attack" Similar problemcause for concernnuisancepestplaguetrialtribulationtroubleirritationirritantvexationbanebugbearthorn in one's flesh/sideburdencrosscross to bearinformal:painpain in the neckheadachehasslestress

   Word Origin Old Englishwyrgan ‘strangle’, of West Germanic origin. In Middle English the original sense of the verb gave rise to the meaning ‘seize by the throat and tear’, later figuratively ‘harass’, whence ‘cause anxiety to’ (early 19th century, the date also of the noun).

   Derivatives

   • 1. worrier noun

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • W

     4

   • O

     1

   • R

     1

   • R

     1

   • Y

     4

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