Synonym Chooser

How is the word solicitude distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of solicitude are anxiety, care, concern, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When could anxiety be used to replace solicitude?

Although the words anxiety and solicitude have much in common, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

In what contexts can care take the place of solicitude?

The words care and solicitude can be used in similar contexts, but care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can concern be used instead of solicitude?

The words concern and solicitude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When is it sensible to use worry instead of solicitude?

The meanings of worry and solicitude largely overlap; however, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of solicitude This idea will add the inducements of philanthropy to those of patriotism, to heighten the solicitude which all considerate and good men must feel for the event. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 30 May 2024 That’s surely what accounts for the solicitude that the cryptocurrency industry has been receiving from Congress. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024 That may account for the thrust of many early corporate statements about the Hamas attack, which tended to express solicitude for Israeli employees and their families and reiterate commitment to the Israeli market. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Wexner may also have enjoyed a certain amount of solicitude from Harvard associated with his relationship with Epstein. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for solicitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solicitude
Noun
  • Are there like-minded employees or managers who share your concerns?
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Clearly, an allegation of this magnitude is incredibly disturbing and causes concerns about the safety of the children in our school community.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Had fear of exposure or rejection kept you from fully stepping into leadership or creative risk?
    Colin Bedell, Them, 28 Feb. 2025
  • According to polling by the Bipartisan Policy Center, nearly one in four mothers have considered leaving their jobs due to a lack of accommodations or fear of discrimination during pregnancy.
    G Kirilloff, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Beyond baseball, Art was known for his kindness, humor, and deep appreciation for the people around him.
    Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 9 Mar. 2025
  • And for Katelyn, the internet's kindness has arrived exactly at the right time.
    William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In the film, Shear stars as Sam, a once-promising law student whose anxiety has slowly chipped away at his confidence in all areas of his life.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Qigong also was found helpful in treating arthritis, depression and anxiety, and hypertension in a May 2022 study published in the Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research.
    Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Other hospitals owned by Steward Health have experienced similar problems that have affected care, including Hialeah Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, North Shore Medical Center and Florida Medical Center.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The most promising sectors forecasted for the new year and beyond are pet services, EV charging stations and senior care.
    Seth Lederman, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • What the public worries about is clarity from their politicians.
    Carlton Reid, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Another major worry for those who’ve been able to live in their homes is all the trash.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • However, the romantic narrative is punctuated by subtle moments of unease, each barely perceptible on its own but which, taken together, build into something rather more sinister.
    Stephanie Hirschmiller, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • More than a year later, the campus remains in a state of bewildered unease.
    Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Solicitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solicitude. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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