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.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) 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:
(countable, uncountable) An instance or cause of such a feeling.
My main worry is that I'll miss the train.
(countable, uncountable) A 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 Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 305:
nb bekymring (strong feeling of anxiety) · gd iomagain (strong feeling of anxiety) · ee dzitsitsi (strong feeling of anxiety) · el ανησυχία (strong feeling of anxiety) · is áhyggja (strong feeling of anxiety) · ang caru (strong feeling of anxiety) · sw dukuduku (strong feeling of anxiety) · el έννοια (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu nyugtalanság (strong feeling of anxiety) · cmn 擔心 /担心 (strong feeling of anxiety) · rup cãshtigã (strong feeling of anxiety) · tr dert (strong feeling of anxiety) · pdt Sorj (strong feeling of anxiety) · ro grijă (strong feeling of anxiety) · bg тревога (strong feeling of anxiety) · cs starost (strong feeling of anxiety) · nb engstelse (strong feeling of anxiety) · ja 心配 (strong feeling of anxiety) · el έγνοια (strong feeling of anxiety) · it preoccupazione (strong feeling of anxiety) · de Sorge (strong feeling of anxiety) · ca angoixa (strong feeling of anxiety) · es preocupación (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu aggodalmaskodás (strong feeling of anxiety) · fr angoisse (strong feeling of anxiety) · fkv huoli (strong feeling of anxiety) · fi huoli (strong feeling of anxiety) · tr tasa (strong feeling of anxiety) · pl zmartwienie (strong feeling of anxiety) · yi זאָרג (strong feeling of anxiety) · lld festide (strong feeling of anxiety) · pt preocupação (strong feeling of anxiety) · nl zorg (strong feeling of anxiety) · ga imní (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu aggály (strong feeling of anxiety) · eo ĉagreno (strong feeling of anxiety) · la sollicitūdō (strong feeling of anxiety) · eo zorgo (strong feeling of anxiety) · fi harmi (strong feeling of anxiety) · ru забо́та (strong feeling of anxiety) · he דאגה (strong feeling of anxiety) · tr telaş (strong feeling of anxiety) · fr souci (strong feeling of anxiety) · gl anguria (strong feeling of anxiety) · hy անհանգստություն (strong feeling of anxiety) · sv oro (strong feeling of anxiety) · sv bekymmer (strong feeling of anxiety) · ru волне́ние (strong feeling of anxiety) · es zozobra (strong feeling of anxiety) · sv ängslan (strong feeling of anxiety) · gl canseira (strong feeling of anxiety) · tr efkâr (strong feeling of anxiety) · da bekymring (strong feeling of anxiety) · gl preocupación (strong feeling of anxiety) · es inquietud (strong feeling of anxiety) · fa نگرانی (strong feeling of anxiety) · ar قَلَق (strong feeling of anxiety) · te చింత (strong feeling of anxiety) · lb Suerg (strong feeling of anxiety) · ko 근심 (strong feeling of anxiety) · es desasosiego (strong feeling of anxiety) · fa دلواپسی (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu gond (strong feeling of anxiety) · te దిగులు (strong feeling of anxiety) · ru беспоко́йство (strong feeling of anxiety) · tr endişe (strong feeling of anxiety) · mk гри́жа (strong feeling of anxiety) · ru трево́га (strong feeling of anxiety) · nb uro (strong feeling of anxiety) · grc μέριμνα (strong feeling of anxiety) · izh vaiva (strong feeling of anxiety) · fro anguise (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu aggódás (strong feeling of anxiety) · tr kaygı (strong feeling of anxiety) · bg безпокойство (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu nyugtalankodás (strong feeling of anxiety) · mk га́јле (strong feeling of anxiety) · cy pryder (strong feeling of anxiety) · ckb ترس (strong feeling of anxiety) · ta கவலை (strong feeling of anxiety) · la dīvidia (strong feeling of anxiety) · acw قَلَق (strong feeling of anxiety) · is kvíði (strong feeling of anxiety) · hu aggodalom (strong feeling of anxiety) · ca preocupació (strong feeling of anxiety) · ko 걱정 (strong feeling of anxiety)
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.
Meanings
(intransitive) 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 you 1983, Ashford & Simpson, “Side Effect”, in High-Rise (album):
(transitive) 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:
(transitive) To harass; to irritate or distress.
The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.
(transitive) To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.
This is the Dog, that worried the Cat, that killed the Rat, that ate the Malt, that lay in the Houſe that Jack built. 1784, The House that Jack Built, page 7:
Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.
(transitive) To touch repeatedly; to fiddle with.
No stories, no arguments. He just worries his prayer beads. 2002, Masha Hamilton, Staircase of a Thousand Steps, page 272:
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:
Christian paced the caravan, worrying his beard. 1957, Sydney J. Bounds, The Robot Brains, London: Digit Books, page 58:
(Scotland, obsolete, transitive) To 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." 1891, “Journal of Jurisprudence and Scottish Law Magazine”, in Execution of the Judgment of Death, page 397:
nl bezorgd zijn (to be troubled) · es desasosegarse (to be troubled) · be непако́іцца (to be troubled) · lv tirdīt (to harass, irritate) · fr harceler (to harass, irritate) · eo ĉagreni (to harass, irritate) · hu gyötör (to disturb the peace of mind of) · sv oroa sig (to be troubled) · be хвалява́цца (to be troubled) · fi tehdä huolestuneeksi (to disturb the peace of mind of) · sh бринути (to be troubled) · cs znepokojit (to disturb the peace of mind of) · es preocuparse (to be troubled) · sl skrbeti (to be troubled) · ee tsi dzi (to be troubled) · enm mornen (to be troubled) · cmn 着急 (to be troubled) · toi penga (to be troubled) · my ပူ (to be troubled) · ja 悩ます (to harass, irritate) · he דאג (to be troubled) · acw قِلِق (to be troubled) · ca preocupar-se (to be troubled) · fi huolia (to be troubled) · oc preocupar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · lld sté cun festide (to be troubled) · es preocupar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · hu aggodalmaskodik (to be troubled) · kea ardiga (to be troubled) · sv trakassera (to harass, irritate) · es inquietar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · fr s'inquiéter (to be troubled) · ta கவலைப்படு (to be troubled) · pl niepokoić (to disturb the peace of mind of) · uk турбува́тися (to be troubled) · ms runsing (to disturb the peace of mind of) · yue 擔心 /担心 (to be troubled) · cs dělat si starosti (to be troubled) · sv oroa (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ru трево́житься (to be troubled) · izh tusata (to be troubled) · sh давити (to seize or shake by the throat) · pt preocupar-se (to be troubled) · bg безпокоя (to disturb the peace of mind of) · tr meraklanmak (to be troubled) · ja せがむ (to disturb the peace of mind of) · nv tʼáadoo leʼé iʼdiiłʼá (to disturb the peace of mind of) · sv bekymra (to be troubled) · lv uztraukties (to be troubled) · nl zorgen maken (to be troubled) · ms ريساو (to disturb the peace of mind of) · mi pikoni (to be troubled) · ca preocupar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · rif amnus (to be troubled) · fi huolehtia (to be troubled) · hu zaklat (to harass, irritate) · es afligirse (to be troubled) · nl zorgen maken (to disturb the peace of mind of) · enm vexen (to harass, irritate) · tr korkutmak (to disturb the peace of mind of) · pl martwić się (to be troubled) · ro îngrijora (to be troubled) · mi pikoni (to harass, irritate) · sk robiť si starosti (to be troubled) · ms bimbang (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ca amoïnar-se (to be troubled) · hu kínoz (to disturb the peace of mind of) · sh gušiti (to seize or shake by the throat) · hy անհանգստանալ (to be troubled) · et muretsema (to be troubled) · vi lo (to be troubled) · hu kínoz (to harass, irritate) · qu phutiy (to be troubled) · ru волнова́ться (to be troubled) · ms risau (to disturb the peace of mind of) · got 𐌳𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to harass, irritate) · nb bekymre (to be troubled) · cmn 擔心 /担心 (to be troubled) · fi huolestuttaa (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ja 心配する (to be troubled) · lv plosīt (to seize or shake by the throat) · es comerse la cabeza (to be troubled) · sv hetsa (to harass, irritate) · sh brinuti (to be troubled) · bg досаждам (to harass, irritate) · no uroe (to disturb the peace of mind of) · hu aggaszt (to disturb the peace of mind of) · vi lo ngại (to be troubled) · sh бринути (to disturb the peace of mind of) · kea ardiga (to harass, irritate) · ga déan imní (to be troubled) · sv ansätta (to harass, irritate) · sh daviti (to seize or shake by the throat) · tr merak etmek (to be troubled) · bg безпоко́я се (to be troubled) · vi lo lắng (to be troubled) · pdt duaren (to be troubled) · oc se preocupar (to be troubled) · grc μεριμνάω (to be troubled) · fi ärsyttää (to harass, irritate) · eo ĉagreniĝi (to be troubled) · tr kaygılandırmak (to disturb the peace of mind of) · sv sätta tänderna i (to seize or shake by the throat) · he הדאיג (to disturb the peace of mind of) · da bekymre (to disturb the peace of mind of) · enm pynen (to disturb the peace of mind of) · km ព្រួយ (to be troubled) · rif amnus (to disturb the peace of mind of) · la sollicitor (to be troubled) · lad merekiarse (to be troubled) · da bekymre (to be troubled) · yi זאָרגן (to be troubled) · sh гушити (to seize or shake by the throat) · de besorgt sein (to be troubled) · akk nazāqum (to be troubled) · mi pikoni (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ja 困らす (to disturb the peace of mind of) · bg тревожа се (to be troubled) · nb plage (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ga cuir imní ar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · el ανησυχώ (to be troubled) · es zozobrar (to be troubled) · hu tépáz (to seize or shake by the throat) · cs znepokojovat (to disturb the peace of mind of) · lv nelikt mieru (to harass, irritate) · tr endişelendirmek (to disturb the peace of mind of) · it disturbare (to disturb the peace of mind of) · az nigaran qalmaq (to be troubled) · ar قَلِقَ (to be troubled) · ja 噛んで振り回す (to seize or shake by the throat) · hu izgat (to harass, irritate) · ca neguitejar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · te చింతించు (to be troubled) · fr inquiéter (to disturb the peace of mind of) · cy poeni (to be troubled) · gd cuir dragh air (to disturb the peace of mind of) · hu torkánál fogva rángat/ráncigál (to seize or shake by the throat) · tl mag-alala (to be troubled) · pt preocupar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · uk триво́житися (to be troubled) · hu cibál (to seize or shake by the throat) · it preoccupare (to disturb the peace of mind of) · mi whakatuatea (to be troubled) · th ทุกข์ร้อน (to be troubled) · bg натрапвам се (to harass, irritate) · ru пережива́ть (to be troubled) · be турбава́цца (to be troubled) · it preoccuparsi (to be troubled) · hu aggódik (to be troubled) · hu izgat (to disturb the peace of mind of) · cu пєшти сѧ (to be troubled) · ms رونسيڠ (to disturb the peace of mind of) · zdj ufanya wasiwasi (to be troubled) · ca amoïnar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · mk се грижи (to be troubled) · enm worien (to seize or shake by the throat) · hu nyugtalankodik (to be troubled) · lv bažīties (to be troubled) · enm sorwen (to be troubled) · ms بيمبڠ (to disturb the peace of mind of) · eo zorgi (to be troubled) · ja 気にする (to be troubled) · hy անհանգստացնել (to disturb the peace of mind of) · de besorgen (to disturb the peace of mind of) · hu gyötör (to harass, irritate) · km អំពល់ (to disturb the peace of mind of) · es desasosegar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ko 걱정하다 (to be troubled) · oc tafurar (to disturb the peace of mind of) · uk хвилюва́тися (to be troubled) · sh brinuti (to disturb the peace of mind of) · nv yínííł naʼadá (to be troubled) · hu emészt (to disturb the peace of mind of) · lt rūpintis (to be troubled) · nrf ouothinner (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ru беспоко́иться (to be troubled) · bg давя (to seize or shake by the throat) · es inquietarse (to be troubled) · mi mānatunatu (to be troubled) · ckb ترساندن (to disturb the peace of mind of) · es afligir (to disturb the peace of mind of) · es estar preocupado (to be troubled) · mi āwangawanga (to be troubled) · eo ĉagreni (to disturb the peace of mind of) · uk непоко́їтися (to be troubled) · mt inkwieta (to be troubled) · cmn 著急 (to be troubled) · hu torkon ragad (to seize or shake by the throat) · gd cuir dragh air (to harass, irritate) · az narahat olmaq (to be troubled) · kea ardiga (to disturb the peace of mind of) · ga imní a bheith ort (to be troubled) · tl mag-alala (to disturb the peace of mind of) · om yaadda'uu (to be troubled) · tr endişelenmek (to be troubled) · is hafa áhyggjur (to be troubled) · mi whakapāwerawera (to harass, irritate) · ja じらす (to harass, irritate) · hu nyugtalanít (to disturb the peace of mind of) · fr harceler (to seize or shake by the throat)