Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
1,134,871,415 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

worrying

   Also found in: Idioms, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
wor·ry  (wûr, wr)
v. wor·ried (wûrd, wr-), wor·ry·ing, wor·ries (wûrz, wr-)
v.intr.
1. To feel uneasy or concerned about something; be troubled. See Synonyms at brood.
2. To pull or tear at something with or as if with the teeth.
3. To proceed doggedly in the face of difficulty or hardship; struggle: worried along at the problem.
v.tr.
1. To cause to feel anxious, distressed, or troubled. See Synonyms at trouble.
2. To bother or annoy, as with petty complaints.
3.
a. To seize with the teeth and shake or tug at repeatedly: a dog worrying a bone.
b. To attack roughly and repeatedly; harass.
c. To touch, move, or handle idly; toy with: worrying the loose tooth with his tongue.
n. pl. wor·ries
1. The act of worrying or the condition of being worried; persistent mental uneasiness. See Synonyms at anxiety.
2. A source of nagging concern or uneasiness.
Idiom:
not to worry Informal
There is nothing to worry about; there is no need to be concerned: "But not to worry: it all...falls into place in the book's second half, where the language is plainer" Hallowell Bowser.

[Middle English werien, worien, to strangle, from Old English wyrgan; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.]

worri·er n.
Word History: Worrying may shorten one's life, but not as quickly as it once did. The ancestor of our word, Old English wyrgan, meant "to strangle." Its Middle English descendant, worien, kept this sense and developed the new sense "to grasp by the throat with the teeth and lacerate" or "to kill or injure by biting and shaking." This is the way wolves or dogs might attack sheep, for example. In the 16th century worry began to be used in the sense "to harass, as by rough treatment or attack," or "to assault verbally," and in the 17th century the word took on the sense "to bother, distress, or persecute." It was a small step from this sense to the main modern senses "to cause to feel anxious or distressed" and "to feel troubled or uneasy," first recorded in the 19th century.

worrying
Adjective
causing concern and anxiety
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.worryingworrying - the act of harassing someone        
harassment, molestation - the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism
2.worrying - the act of moving something by repeated tugs or pushes; "vigorous worrying finally loosened the saw"
agitation - the act of agitating something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously)
Adj.1.worryingworrying - causing distress or worry or anxiety; "distressing (or disturbing) news"; "lived in heroic if something distressful isolation"; "a disturbing amount of crime"; "a revelation that was most perturbing"; "a new and troubling thought"; "in a particularly worrisome predicament"; "a worrying situation"; "a worrying time"
heavy - marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness; "a heavy heart"; "a heavy schedule"; "heavy news"; "a heavy silence"; "heavy eyelids"
Translations

worrying [ˈwʌrɪɪŋ] adjinquietante
worrying [ˈwʌrɪɪŋ] worry adjinquiétant(e)
worrying [ˈwʌrɪɪŋ] worry adjbeunruhigend
worrying [ˈwʌrɪɪŋ] adjpreoccupante


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Worrying helps you some--it seems as if you were doing something when you're worrying.
As though he would say: "I am worrying you, I am lacerating your hearts, I am keeping everyone in the house awake.
At first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.