Worry

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: wor=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

Worry, v. t. [OE. worowen, wirien, to strangle, AS. wyrgan in āwyrgan; akin to D. worgen, wurgen, to strangle, OHG. wurgen, G. wÜrgen, Lith. verszti, and perhaps to E. wring.].

•  To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly; also, to tear or mangle with the teeth.  [1913 Webster]

  "A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death;
  That dog that had his teeth before his eyes,
  To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood."  [1913 Webster]
•  To harass or beset with importunity, or with care an anxiety; to vex; to annoy; to torment; to tease; to fret; to trouble; to plague.  South.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let them rail,
  And worry one another at their pleasure."  [1913 Webster]

  "Worry him out till he gives consent."  [1913 Webster]
•  To harass with labor; to fatigue.  [1913 Webster]

Worry, v. i. 

 To feel or express undue care and anxiety; to manifest disquietude or pain; to be fretful; to chafe; as, the child worries; the horse worries.  [1913 Webster]

Worry, n. 

 A state of undue solicitude; a state of disturbance from care and anxiety; vexation; anxiety; fret; as, to be in a worry.  Sir T. Browne.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Worry, v. & n.
--v. (-ies, -ied)
1 intr. give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
2 tr. harass, importune; be a trouble or anxiety to.
3 tr. a (of a dog etc.) shake or pull about with the teeth. b attack repeatedly.
4 (as worried adj.) a uneasy, troubled in the mind. b suggesting worry (a worried look).
--n. (pl. -ies)
1 a thing that causes anxiety or disturbs a person's tranquillity.
2 a disturbed state of mind; anxiety; a worried state.
3 a dog's worrying of its quarry.

Idiom

not to worry colloq. there is no need to worry. worry along (or through) manage to advance by persistence in spite of obstacles. worry beads a string of beads manipulated with the fingers to occupy or calm oneself. worry-guts (or -wart) colloq. a person who habitually worries unduly. worry oneself (usu. in neg.) take needless trouble. worry out obtain (the solution to a problem etc.) by dogged effort.

Derivative

worriedly adv. worrier n. worryingly adv.

Etymology

OE wyrgan strangle f. WG

THESAURUS

Worry

ado, afflict, aggravate, aggravation, aggrieve, agitate, ail, anguish, annoy, annoyance, anxiety, bad news, badger, bait, be at, be the matter, bedevil, bedevilment, beleaguer, beset, besetment, bore, bother, botheration, bothersomeness, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, can of worms, care, carry on, chafe, chivy, complicate matters, concern, concernment, crashing bore, despair, devil, devilment, difficulty, disadvantage, discommode, discompose, disquiet, disquietude, distemper, distress, disturb, dog, dogging, doubt, downer, drag, dun, evil, exasperate, exasperation, exercise, fash, fret, fret and fume, fretting, fuss, get, give up, gnaw, goad, great ado, gripe, harass, harassment, harry, harrying, haunt, headache, heartache, heckle, hector, hound, hounding, inconvenience, irk, matter, miff, mistrust, molest, molestation, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, nuisance, oppress, peck of troubles, peeve, pelt, perplex, persecute, persecution, perturb, pest, pester, pick on, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother, presentiment, problem, provoke, put out, put to it, puzzle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, sea of troubles, solicitude, stew, take on, tantalize, tease, test, torment, torture, trial, trouble, try, try the patience, tweak the nose, uncertainty, unease, uneasiness, upset, vex, vexation, vexatiousness, woe, worriedness, worries and cares, worriment, worrying, wrong

ROGET THESAURUS

Worry

Pain

N mental suffering, pain, dolor, suffering, sufferance, ache, smart, passion, displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, discomposure, disquiet, malaise, inquietude, uneasiness, vexation of spirit, taking, discontent, dejection, weariness, anhedonia, annoyance, irritation, worry, infliction, visitation, plague, bore, bother, botheration, stew, vexation, mortification, chagrin, esclandre, mauvais quart d'heur, care, anxiety, solicitude, trouble, trial, ordeal, fiery ordeal, shock, blow, cark, dole, fret, burden, load, concern, grief, sorrow, distress, affliction, woe, bitterness, heartache, carking cares, heavy heart, aching heart, bleeding heart, broken heart, heavy affliction, gnawing grief, unhappiness, infelicity, misery, tribulation, wretchedness, desolation, despair, extremity, prostration, depth of misery, nightmare, ephialtes, incubus, pang, anguish, agony, torture, torment, purgatory, hell upon earth, iron age, reign of terror, slough of despond, peck of troubles, ills that flesh is heir to, miseries of human life, unkindest cut of all, sufferer, victim, prey, martyr, object of compassion, wretch, shorn lamb, in pain, in a state of pain, full of pain, suffering, pained, afflicted, worried, displeased, aching, griped, sore, on the rack, in limbo, between hawk and buzzard, uncomfortable, uneasy, ill at ease, in a taking, in a way, disturbed, discontented, out of humor, weary, heavy laden, stricken, crushed, a prey to, victimized, ill-used, unfortunate, to be pitied, doomed, devoted, accursed, undone, lost, stranded, fey, unhappy, infelicitous, poor, wretched, miserable, woe-begone, cheerless, careworn, concerned, sorry, sorrowing, sorrowful, cut up, chagrined, horrified, horror-stricken, in grief, plunged in grief, a prey to grief, in tears, steeped to the lips in misery, heart-stricken, heart-broken, heart-scalded, broken-hearted, in despair, the iron entered into our soul, haeret lateri lethalis arundo, one's heart bleeding, down, thou climbing sorrow, mirth cannot move a soul in agony, nessun maggior dolere che ricordarsi del tempo fel, sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier th, the Niobe of Nations.

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Discontent

N discontent, discontentment, dissatisfaction, dissent, disappointment, mortification, cold comfort, regret, repining, taking on, heart-burning, heart-grief, querulousness, hypercriticism, inquietude, vexation of spirit, soreness, worry, concern, fear, malcontent, grumbler, growler, croaker, dissident, dissenter, laudator temporis acti, censurer, complainer, fault-finder, murmerer, cave of Adullam, indignation meeting, winter of our discontent, with what I most enjoy contented least, discontented, dissatisfied, unsatisfied, ungratified, dissident, dissentient, malcontent, malcontented, exigent, exacting, hypercritical, repining, regretful, down in the mouth, in high dudgeon, in a fume, in the sulks, in the dumps, in bad humor, glum, sulky, sour as a crab, soured, sore, out of humor, out of temper, disappointing, unsatisfactory, frustrated (failure), Int, so much the worse!, that won't do, that will never do, it will never do, curtae nescio quid semper abest rei, ne Jupiter Quidem omnibus placet, poor in abundance, famished at a feast.

Fear

N fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence, apprehensiveness, fearfulness, solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving, feeze, mistrust, suspicion, qualm, hesitation, nervousness, restlessness, inquietude, disquietude, worry, concern, batophobia, heartquake, flutter, trepidation, fear and trembling, perturbation, tremor, quivering, shaking, trembling, throbbing heart, palpitation, ague fit, cold sweat, abject fear, mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency, despair, fright, affright, affrightment, boof alarm, dread, awe, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic, scare, stampede (of horses), intimidation, terrorism, reign of terror, bug bear, bugaboo, scarecrow, hobgoblin, nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum, bete noire, enfant terrible, alarmist, fearing, frightened, in fear, in a fright, haunted with the fear of, afeard, afraid, fearful, timid, timorous, nervous, diffident, coy, faint- hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety, more frightened than hurt, aghast, awe-stricken, horror-stricken, terror-stricken, panic- stricken, awestruck, awe-stricken, horror-struck, frightened to death, white as a sheet, pale, pale as a ghost, pale as death, pale as ashes, breathless, in hysterics, inspiring fear, alarming, formidable, redoubtable, perilous, portentous, fearful, dread, dreadful, fell, dire, direful, shocking, terrible, terrific, tremendous, horrid, horrible, horrific, ghastly, awful, awe-inspiring, revolting, Gorgonian, in terrorem, Int, angels and ministers of grace defend us!, ante tubam trepidat, horresco referens, one's heart failing one, obstupui steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit, a dagger of the mind, expertus metuit, fain would I climb but that I fear to fall, fear is the parent of cruelty, Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire, omnia tuta timens, our fears do make us traitors.

Malevolence

VB be malevolent, bear spleen, harbor spleen, bear a grudge, harbor a grudge, bear malice, betray the cloven foot, show the cloven foot, hurt, annoy, injure, harm, wrong, do harm to, do an ill office to, outrage, disoblige, malign, plant a thorn in the breast, molest, worry, harass, haunt, harry, bait, tease, throw stones at, play the devil with, hunt down, dragoon, hound, persecute, oppress, grind, maltreat, illtreat, ill-use, wreak one's malice on, do one's worst, break a butterfly on the wheel, dip one's hands in blood, imbrue one's hands in blood, have no mercy.