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Dictionary / worry

worry

/ˈwʌɹ.i/ (Received-Pronunciation)[ˈwʌɹɪj] (British, Southern, Standard)
  • verb
  • noun
  • from Old English

To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “worry” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

verb

  1. intransitiveTo be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.

    So you go along for a long time / And nothing seems to worry your mind / But what it adds up to / It's the side effect / That finally gets to you1983, Ashford & Simpson, “Side Effect”, in High-Rise (album):

  2. transitiveDisturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.

    Your tone of voice worries me.

  3. transitiveTo harass; to irritate or distress.

    The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.

  4. transitiveTo seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.

    Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.

  5. transitiveTo touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.

    Christian paced the caravan, worrying his beard.1957, Sydney J. Bounds, The Robot Brains, London: Digit Books, page 58:

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. ScotlandobsoletetransitiveTo strangle.
Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

noun

  1. countableuncountableA strong feeling of anxiety.

    I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night.

  2. countableuncountableAn instance or cause of such a feeling.

    My main worry is that I'll miss the train.

  3. countableuncountableA person who causes worry.

    They could never make him speak a word, although he was old enough, in short, he was a perfect worry night and day.1886, Peter Christen Asbjø￵rnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 305:

Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (8)
  1. nounsomething or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness — also: concern, headache, vexation
  2. nouna strong feeling of anxiety — also: trouble
  3. verbbe worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy
  4. verbbe concerned with — also: care
  5. verbdisturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress — also: vex
  6. verbbe on the mind of — also: concern, interest, occupy
  7. verblacerate by biting
  8. verbtouch or rub constantly
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: fret, stress, fuss, concern, preoccupy, vex, gnaw

Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)worry
  2. Middle Englishworien “to choke, strangle”
  3. Old Englishwyrġan
  4. Proto-West Germanic*wurgijan
  5. Proto-Germanic*wurgijaną
  6. Proto-Indo-European*werǵʰ- “bind, squeeze”

From Middle English worien (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-West Germanic *wurgijan, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”).

Cognate with Dutch worgen, wurgen, German würgen. Compare Latin urgere (“to press, push”), Sanskrit वृहति (vṛhati, “to tear out, pluck”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string; squeeze”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”). Related to wring.

Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “worry”

beworryworricowworriedworrierworrilyworrimentworrygutsworrymentworrywartoverworryworrisomeworry-freeworryfulworrylessworry-wart

Phrases & compounds

don't worrydon't worry your pretty little headnot to worryworry alongworry backworry downworry someone sicka worry shared is a worry halvedmuffin worryworry beadsworry lineworry stone
Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “worry” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “worry” came from before it was English.

Native English word, from
Old English
Old English wyrġan
Deepest root (reconstructed)
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- “bind, squeeze”
Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root
“bind, squeeze”
Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- — rebuilt by linguists from its descendants; never written down.
Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

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

  1. To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly; also, to tear or mangle with the teeth.
  2. 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.
  3. To harass with labor; to fatigue.

worry v. i.

  1. 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.

worry n.

  1. A state of undue solicitude; a state of disturbance from care and anxiety; vexation; anxiety; fret; as, to be in a worry.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

verbMeaning: To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.

So you go along for a long time / And nothing seems to worry your mind / But what it adds up to / It's the side effect / That finally gets to you1983, Ashford & Simpson, “Side Effect”, in High-Rise (album):

verbMeaning: Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.

Your tone of voice worries me.

That worries the government, which fears that environmental activism could become the foundation for more general political opposition.2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

verbMeaning: To harass; to irritate or distress.

The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.

verbMeaning: To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.

Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.

verbMeaning: To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.

Christian paced the caravan, worrying his beard.1957, Sydney J. Bounds, The Robot Brains, London: Digit Books, page 58:

So what if I wanted to touch my nose to the windshield? Who was it hurting? Why was it that he could repeatedly worry his change and bite his lower lip without the threat of punishment?1997, David Sedaris, “A Plague of Tics”, in Naked, page 15:

nounMeaning: A strong feeling of anxiety.

I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night.

"Worry never solved any problems. Only gives you ulcers."1957, Sydney J. Bounds, The Robot Brains, London: Digit Books, page 35:

nounMeaning: something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

it's a major worry

nounMeaning: a strong feeling of anxiety

his worry over the prospect of being fired

it is not work but worry that kills

verbMeaning: be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy

I worry about my job

verbMeaning: be concerned with

I worry about my grades

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “worry” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 10

Say it, then spell it

worry

/ˈwʌɹ.i/

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

worry

/ˈwʌɹ.i/ · verb, noun

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “worry” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (verb) To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.
2. (verb) Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.
3. (verb) To harass; to irritate or distress.
4. (verb) To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.
5. (verb) To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“Your tone of voice worries me.”

A. Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.
B. An instance or cause of such a feeling.
C. A strong feeling of anxiety.

Circle the meaning used.

“The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.”

A. To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.
B. To harass; to irritate or distress.
C. A strong feeling of anxiety.

Circle the meaning used.

“Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.”

A. To harass; to irritate or distress.
B. To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.
C. To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “worry” come into English from?   A. Middle French  B. Medieval Latin  C. Anglo-Norman  D. Old English

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “worry” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ-. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “worry” to mean: To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt.
Write a sentence using “worry” to mean: Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.
Write a sentence using “worry” to mean: To harass; to irritate or distress.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — worry

Which meaning, sentence 1: A. Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; to exercise.

Which meaning, sentence 2: B. To harass; to irritate or distress.

Which meaning, sentence 3: B. To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.

Origin: D. Old English (Old English wyrġan)

Journey: English worry ← Middle English worien ← Old English wyrġan ← Proto-West Germanic *wurgijan ← Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną ← Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ-

Some derivatives: beworry, worricow, worried, worrier, worrily, worriment, worryguts, worryment

Original meaning: Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- — “bind, squeeze”

Etymology: From Middle English worien (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-West Germanic *wurgijan, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”).

Sources: Wiktionary “worry” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/worry#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/worry