Definition

1. Noun:

   • A strong feeling of anxiety or unease: "Worry" refers to the state of being troubled or concerned about actual or potential problems.
   • A source or cause of anxiety: "Worry" can also refer to a specific problem or situation that causes someone to feel anxious.

2. Verb:

   • To feel anxious or troubled about something: The primary meaning is to allow one's mind to dwell on difficulties or troubles.
   • To cause someone to feel anxious or troubled: To make someone feel uneasy or concerned.
   • To seize and shake or tear at with the teeth: Used especially for animals, like a dog biting and shaking something repeatedly.
   • To touch or handle something repeatedly, often nervously: To keep touching or fiddling with something.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • His constant worry about money affected his health.
  • Her son's safety is her biggest worry.

• Verb:

  • Don't worry about things you cannot control.
  • The news of the storm worried the residents.
  • The puppy worried the slipper until it was torn apart.
  • He worried the button on his coat while he waited.

Advanced Usage

• "To worry at": To try repeatedly to solve a problem or understand something.
  • She kept worrying at the math problem until she found the solution.
• "To worry oneself": To make oneself anxious.
  • Don't worry yourself over their comments; they're not important.

Variants and Related Words

• Worried (adj): Anxious or troubled.
  • She had a worried expression on her face.
• Worrier (n): A person who tends to worry habitually.
  • He's a born worrier; he frets about everything.
• Worrisome (adj): Causing worry or anxiety.
  • The patient's symptoms were worrisome.

Synonyms

• Anxiety (n): A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease.
• Concern (n/v): A matter of interest or importance; to relate to or affect.
• Fret (v): To be constantly or visibly anxious.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Worry along: To manage or continue despite difficulties.
  • We didn't have a clear plan, but we just worried along and finished the project.
• Worry out: To obtain or achieve something by persistent effort or thought.
  • He finally worried out the answer to the puzzle.

Related Idioms

• Not to worry: Used to tell someone not to be concerned.
  • Not to worry, we have plenty of time to get there.
• Worry oneself sick: To worry so much that one feels ill.
  • She worried herself sick waiting for the test results.

Noun

1. 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
2. something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
   • New York traffic is a constant concern
   • it's a major worry

Verb

1. touch or rub constantly
   • The old man worried his beads
2. lacerate by biting
   • the dog worried his bone
3. be on the mind of
   • I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift
4. disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress
   • I cannot sleep--my daughter's health is worrying me
5. be concerned with
   • I worry about my grades
6. be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
   • I worry about my job