/ ˈwʌrid; NAmE ˈwɜːr-/ adjective
worried (about sb/sth) | worried (by sth) | worried (that ... ) thinking about unpleasant things that have happened or that might happen and therefore feeling unhappy and afraid :
Don't look so worried!
I'm not worried about her—she can take care of herself.
Doctors are worried about the possible spread of the disease.
We're not too worried by these results.
The police are worried that the man may be armed.
Where have you been? I've been worried sick (= extremely worried) .
I was worried you wouldn't come.
Try not to get worried .
She gave me a worried look.
► wor·ried·ly adverb :
He glanced worriedly at his father.
•
IDIOMS
- you had me worried
••
SYNONYMS
worried
concerned ♦ nervous ♦ anxious ♦ uneasy
All these words describe feeling unhappy and afraid because you are thinking about unpleasant things that might happen or might have happened.
worried
thinking about unpleasant things that might happen or might have happened and therefore feeling unhappy and afraid
concerned
worried and feeling concern about sth
worried or concerned?
Concerned is usually used when you are talking about a problem that affects another person, society, the world, etc., while worried can be used for this or for more personal matters.
nervous
feeling worried about sth or slightly afraid of sth
anxious
feeling worried or nervous about sth
worried, nervous or anxious?
Worried is the most common word to describe how you feel when you are thinking about a problem or something bad that might happen. Anxious can describe a stronger feeling and is more formal. Nervous is more often used to describe how you feel before you do something very important such as an exam or an interview, or something unpleasant or difficult. Nervous can describe sb's personality:
a very nervous girl
is often or usually nervous, while
a worried girl
is worried on a particular occasion or about a particular thing. Worried describes her feelings, not her personality. Anxious may describe feelings or personality.
uneasy
feeling worried or unhappy about a particular situation, especially because you think sth bad may happen or because you are not sure that what you are doing is right
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
to feel / look / sound / seem worried / concerned / nervous / anxious / uneasy
to be worried / concerned / nervous / anxious / uneasy about (doing) sth
to be worried / concerned / nervous / anxious that ...
He was worried / concerned / anxious for his children's safety.
I always get worried / nervous / anxious before an exam.
a(n) worried / concerned / nervous / anxious / uneasy expression / look