WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
wor•ry /ˈwɜri, ˈwʌr-/USA pronunciation
v., -ried, -ry•ing, n., pl. -ries.
v.
n.
wor•ry•ing•ly, adv.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v.
- 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.
- to subject to persistent attention or scrutiny:[~ + object]He worries the problem too much.
- Animal Behavior (of animals) to seize with the teeth and shake or mangle:[~ + object]worrying a bone.
- to touch or adjust over and over again:[~ + object]worrying the loose button of his jacket.
n.
- uneasiness or anxiety:[uncountable]full of worry.
- a cause of worry:[countable]Money is their biggest worry.
wor•ry•ing•ly, adv.
wor•ry
(wûr′ē, wur′ē),USA pronunciation v., -ried, -ry•ing, n., pl. -ries.
v.i.
v.t.
n.
wor′ri•er, n.
wor′ri•less, adj.
wor′ry•ing•ly, adv.
v.i.
- to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts;
fret. - to move with effort:an old car worrying uphill.
v.t.
- to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.;
trouble;
plague. - Animal Behaviorto seize, esp. by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.
- to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.
- worry along or through, [Informal.]to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty:to worry through an intolerable situation.
n.
- a worried condition or feeling;
uneasiness or anxiety. - a cause of uneasiness or anxiety;
trouble. - act of worrying.
- 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•less, adj.
wor′ry•ing•ly, adv.
- 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.