/ˈwʌ.ɹi/, /ˈwɝ.i/, /ˈwʌ.ɹi/
OriginFrom Middle English worien, werien, wirien, 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”), Sanskrit वृहति (vṛhati, “to tear out, pluck”), Lithuanian ver̃žti (“to string; squeeze”), Russian (poetic) отверза́ть (otverzátʹ, “to open”, literally “to untie”). Related to wring.
- 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 you”
- transitiveDisturb 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.”
- transitiveTo harass; to irritate or distress.
“The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.”
- transitiveTo seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.
“Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.”
“This is the Dog, that worried the Cat, that killed the Rat, that ate the Malt, that lay in the Houſe that Jack built.”
- transitiveTo touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.
“Christian paced the caravan, worrying his beard.”
“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?”
“No stories, no arguments. He just worries his prayer beads.”
- Scotland, obsolete, transitiveTo strangle.
“We read (Law's Memor. Pref. lix.) that "one John Brugh, a notorious warlock (wizard) in the parochin of Fossoquhy, by the space of thirty-six years, was worried at a stake and burned, 1643."”
- countable, uncountableA strong feeling of anxiety.
“I'm afflicted by worry throughout the night.”
“"Worry never solved any problems. Only gives you ulcers."”
- countable, uncountableAn instance or cause of such a feeling.
“My main worry is that I'll miss the train.”
- countable, uncountableA 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.”
Formsworries(present, singular, third-person) · worrying(participle, present) · worried(participle, past) · worried(past) · worries(plural)