worry 1 of 2

verb

ˈwər-ē How to pronounce worry (audio)
Definition of worrynext
1
as in to fret
to experience concern or anxiety they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy those strange noises outside the house worry me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

worry

2 of 2

noun

as in fear
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble she can only concentrate on something when she is free of worry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb worry contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of worry are annoy, harass, harry, pester, plague, and tease. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

When can annoy be used instead of worry?

The words annoy and worry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When is harass a more appropriate choice than worry?

The meanings of harass and worry largely overlap; however, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When would harry be a good substitute for worry?

While the synonyms harry and worry are close in meaning, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When could pester be used to replace worry?

The words pester and worry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

In what contexts can plague take the place of worry?

Although the words plague and worry have much in common, plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use tease instead of worry?

In some situations, the words tease and worry are roughly equivalent. However, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

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 worry
Verb
As Sunga foretold, there was plenty of cake and no reason to worry about not getting enough. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 In 2025, many Californians don’t have to worry about running out of battery while commuting, running errands or heading out on a road trip. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
While the contract expiration did not end up disrupting his care, the possibility of having to find replacements for all of his physicians brought him distress and worry. —Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025 For that reason, most people can use it without worry of irritation. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for worry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worry
  1. fret
  2. bother
  3. fear
  4. stress
  5. concern
  6. anxiety
  7. fuss
  8. disturb
Verb
  • After 15 episodes, the show is wrapping up its first season, but don’t fret: It has already been renewed for a second.
    — Shivani Gonzalez, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Some semiconductor stocks also struggled as investors fretted over potential demand destruction stemming from the tariffs.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of fret
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    — Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of bother
Noun
  • Hayes said he’s had to take a leave of absence from his job over the fear of what might happen to his family.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The rare encounter highlights accelerating efforts by two longtime regional rivals to stabilize relations amid mounting fears of broader conflict, especially with tensions flaring across Gaza, Syria, and the Red Sea, as Washington's pressure grows on Iran's proxy in the Middle East.
    — Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of fear
Verb
  • Second report also says consumers are stressed An unrelated index to the Kearney survey is also showing some consumers are taking a defensive mode to their spending.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • For an organization that has stressed that winning games was a priority and that tanking would never be in their vocabulary, that’s an odd way of going about it.
    — Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of stress
Verb
  • This was concerning and also shocking because no one likes him.
    — The Totally Football Show, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • When Nintendo finally officially revealed the Switch 2 in January, one of our major unanswered questions concerned whether games designed for the original Switch would see some form of visual or performance enhancement when running on the backward-compatible Switch 2.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of concern
Noun
  • Consumer sentiment fell sharply in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of declines, as an intensifying trade war fueled anxiety over American jobs and rising inflation.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Is loyalty to an old friend and/or anxiety about having a kid reason enough to spend a day or two away from a wife who could go into labor at any minute?
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of anxiety
Verb
  • No crying or fussing or squirming.
    — Danielle Pergament, SELF, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Really good, and if you’re not fussed about mod cons or hybrid tech, one can be sat on your driveway for just £18,850 ($24,388).
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of fuss
Verb
  • This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
  • What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.
    — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of disturb

Browse Nearby Words

worrisome
worry
worrying
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Cite this Entry

“Worry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worry. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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