I. wor ‧ ry 1 S1 W2 /ˈwʌri $ ˈwɜːri/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle worried , present participle worrying , third person singular worries )
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ worried ≠ UNWORRIED , ↑ worrying , ↑ worrisome ; noun : ↑ worry , ↑ worrier ; adverb : ↑ worryingly , ↑ worriedly ; verb : ↑ worry ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: wyrgan 'to strangle' ]
1 . BE ANXIOUS [intransitive] to be anxious or unhappy about someone or something, so that you think about them a lot
worry about
I worry about my daughter.
You’ve really got no need to worry about your weight.
worry (that)
She worried that she wasn’t doing enough to help.
worry over
Dad worries over the slightest thing.
Don’t tell Mum about this – she’s got enough to worry about (=she already has a lot of problems or is very busy) .
2 . don’t worry spoken
a) used when you are trying to make someone feel less anxious:
Don’t worry, darling, Daddy’s here.
don’t worry if
Don’t worry if you can’t finish all the questions.
b) used to tell someone that they do not need to do something
don’t worry about
Don’t worry about sorting them out – I’ll do it later.
c) used to tell someone that you will definitely do something:
Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure he does his fair share.
3 . MAKE SOMEBODY ANXIOUS [transitive] to make someone feel anxious about something:
The recent changes in the Earth’s climate are beginning to worry scientists.
I didn’t tell Mum and Dad – I didn’t want to worry them.
what worries me is .../the (only) thing that worries me is ...
The only thing that worries me is the food. I don’t want to get food poisoning.
Doesn’t it worry you that Sarah spends so much time away from home?
worry yourself (=feel anxious, especially when there is no need to)
You’re worrying yourself unnecessarily.
4 . not to worry British English spoken used to say that something is not important:
Not to worry, we can always go another time.
5 . nothing to worry about spoken used to tell someone that something is not as serious or difficult as they think:
It’s just a check-up – nothing to worry about.
6 . ANNOY [transitive] to annoy someone SYN bother :
The heat didn’t seem to worry him.
7 . ANIMAL [transitive] if a dog worries sheep, it tries to bite or kill them
worry at something phrasal verb
1 . if an animal worries at a bone or piece of meat, it bites and shakes it
2 . if you worry at a problem, you think about it a lot in order to find a solution
II. worry 2 S2 BrE AmE noun ( plural worries )
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ worried ≠ UNWORRIED , ↑ worrying , ↑ worrisome ; noun : ↑ worry , ↑ worrier ; adverb : ↑ worryingly , ↑ worriedly ; verb : ↑ worry ]
1 . [countable] a problem that you are anxious about or are not sure how to deal with
sb’s main/biggest/real etc worry
My main worry is finding somewhere to live.
I had a lot of financial worries.
be a worry to/for somebody
Money was always a big worry for us.
REGISTER
In written English, people often prefer to use concern rather than worry , because it sounds more formal:
▪
One of voters’ key concerns is crime.
2 . [uncountable and countable] the feeling of being anxious about something
be frantic/sick/desperate etc with worry (=feel extremely anxious)
His mother was desperate with worry.
He’s been a constant source of worry.
worry about
We had no worries about safety.
3 . no worries British English spoken used to agree to what someone wants and to say that it will be no problem:
‘Can you deliver on Thursday?’ ‘Yeah, no worries, mate.’
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ sb’s main/biggest worry
My biggest worry is that I might make a fool of myself.
▪ a major/big/great worry
Traffic congestion is not yet a major worry in the area.
▪ a real worry
It's a real worry that he is so far away.
▪ somebody's only worry
My only worry was that she wouldn't like it.
▪ a constant worry
For shopkeepers here, break-ins are a constant worry.
▪ a nagging worry (=one that you keep worrying about)
She had a little nagging worry in the back of her mind about how Mickey would react.
▪ financial/money worries
Bach’s last years were clouded by financial worries.
▪ a worry is unfounded (=there is no reason to worry)
Fortunately their worries were unfounded and the astronauts returned safely to Earth.
■ phrases
▪ a source/cause of worry
Her children were a constant source of worry.
▪ be sick/frantic with worry
The girl's mother was sick with worry over her missing daughter.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ something that makes you worried
▪ worry a problem that you are anxious about or are not sure how to deal with:
You should discuss your worries with your parents.
|
Worries about the company’s performance sent its share prices falling.
▪ concern a situation that makes you feel worried, especially a problem that affects a lot of people, but that may not affect you personally:
One concern is the effects of these chemicals on the environment.
|
Our main concern is that the boys are well looked after while their parents are away.
▪ troubles problems in your life that you are worried about:
I don't want to bore you with my troubles.
|
She has enough troubles of her own at the moment.
|
I hope all our troubles will be over soon.
▪ cares written problems or responsibilities in your life that make you worry:
She was not ready for the cares and responsibilities of running a family.
|
A holiday would give them chance to forget about all their cares.
▪ hang-up informal a feeling of worry or embarrassment about something personal, such as your appearance or relationships with other people:
She has a hang-up about her nose.
|
We all have our hang-ups.
■ the feeling of being worried
▪ worry the feeling of not being happy or relaxed and thinking a lot about a problem or something that is wrong:
She was sick with worry over her daughter.
|
the look of worry on his face
▪ anxiety the feeling of being worried because you think that something bad has happened or will happen, and you feel that you have no control over the situation:
The thought of having to give a speech filled me with anxiety.
|
The increase in heating costs is causing a lot of anxiety among elderly people.
▪ concern a worried feeling – use this especially when many people are worried about a problem that affects everyone:
The shortage of water is beginning to cause widespread concern.
▪ stress the feeling of being worried all the time, for example about work or personal problems, which can make you ill or very tired:
Her financial problems were causing her a lot of stress.
▪ anguish a feeling of extreme mental suffering caused by worry:
How could her parents survive the anguish of not knowing what had happened to her?
|
When she spoke, her voice was full of anguish.
▪ angst a strong feeling of worry and anxiety because you are worried about your life, your future, or what you should do in a particular situation:
The letter was full of teenage angst - would she ever be able to find another boyfriend?
|
There was much angst about the decision.