worry

Etymology

From Middle English worien, werien, wirwen, wyryȝen (“to choke, strangle”), from Old English wyrġan, from Proto-Germanic *wurgijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werǵʰ- (“bind, squeeze”). Cognate with Dutch worgen, wurgen, German würgen. Compare Latin urgere (“to press, push”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string; squeeze”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”). Related to wring.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General New Zealand, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈwʌɹi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwʌɹi/, /ˈwɝɹi/
• (General New Zealand, General Australian, non-standard) IPA^(key): /ˈwɒɹi/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (accents without the "Hurry-furry" merger)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (accents with the "Hurry-furry" merger)
• Rhymes: -ʌri

Verb

worry (third-person singular simple present worries, present participle worrying, simple past and past participle worried)

1. (intransitive) To be troubled, to give way to mental anxiety.

   Stop worrying about your test, it’ll be fine.

2. (transitive) Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress.
   • 2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     That worries the government, which fears that environmental activism could become the foundation for more general political opposition.

   Your tone of voice worries me.

3. (transitive) To harass; to irritate or distress.

   The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.

4. (transitive) To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.

   Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.

5. (transitive) To touch repeatedly, to fiddle with.
   • 1997, David Sedaris, "A Plague of Tics", Naked, page 15:

     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?

   • 2002, Masha Hamilton, Staircase of a Thousand Steps, page 272:

     No stories, no arguments. He just worries his prayer beads.

6. (transitive, obsolete, except in Scots) To strangle.

Noun

worry (countable and uncountable, plural worries)

1. A strong feeling of anxiety.

   I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night.

2. An instance or cause of such a feeling.

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

Verb

worry

1. (transitive) To strangle.