worry
gb/wˈɚi/ us/wˈɚi/
A2
English
~ 1400
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Feel anxious about a possible problem
To feel bad or afraid because you think something bad might happen.
Usage pattern:
to worry about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'worry' with 'care'. 'Care' can mean to be concerned in a positive way, while 'worry' means to feel anxious or troubled.
Synonyms
fret (Slightly more old-fashioned and suggests persistent low-level anxiety.)
Antonyms
relax (Means to stop feeling tense or anxious.)
Collocations
worry about the future
|worry too much
|stop worrying
|worry constantly
|worry needlessly
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She worries about her children when they travel alone.
- I try not to worry too much about things I can't control.
- He worried that he might lose his job.
- Don't worry about the mess; I'll clean it up.
- They worried for weeks before getting the test results.
Learner examples
- I worry about my exam tomorrow.
- She worries when her cat is outside at night.
- He worries about money all the time.
- Don't worry, everything is fine.
- We worry when our friends are sick.
Noun
A2
state
2
Feeling of anxiety about a possible problem
A feeling of being afraid or unhappy because you think something bad might happen.
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use 'worry' as a plural noun for multiple concerns without adding 's' (e.g., 'many worry' instead of 'many worries').
Synonyms
concern (Similar meaning but can be less emotional and more neutral.)
Antonyms
calmness (A state free from nervousness or anxiety.)
Collocations
cause worry
|express worry
|without worry
|full of worry
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Money is a constant worry for many families.
- Her main worry is her father's health.
- The news caused a lot of worry in the community.
- He spoke without any sign of worry.
- We shared our worries with each other.
Learner examples
- My biggest worry is my health.
- She has many worries about her job.
- There is no worry about the trip.
- I told my friend about my worries.
- His face showed worry.
Verb
B1
action
3
Cause someone to feel anxious
To make someone feel afraid or unhappy because they think something bad might happen.
Usage pattern:
to worry [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'worry' in this sense with 'warn'. 'Warn' means to tell someone about possible danger; 'worry' means to make them anxious.
Synonyms
disturb (More general; can mean to interrupt or upset in various ways, not just cause anxiety.)
Antonyms
reassure (Means to make someone feel less worried.)
Collocations
worry someone deeply
|worry parents
|worry a lot of people
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It worries me that she hasn’t called yet.
- The doctor’s tone worried the patient.
- Their safety worries us all.
- What you said really worried him.
- The delay in payment worried the landlord.
Learner examples
- It worries me when you drive fast.
- The news worried my parents.
- Her health problems worry us.
- That problem worries the teacher.
- It worries many people.
Grammar
Dictionary form
worry
IPA
GB/wˈɚi/
US/wˈɚi/
Syllables & stress
worry (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (worry)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: worry
- Plural: worries, worry
Verb
- Base: worry
- 3rd Person Singular: worries
- Present Participle: worrying
- Past: worried
Word family
Forms
Related words
worrier
noun
worryingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unworried
adjective
Advanced or less common
worrisome
adjective
Expressions
don't worry about it
1/dˈoʊnt wˈɚi əbˈaʊt ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Reassure someone not to be anxious
Used to tell someone they do not need to feel bad or afraid about something.
Examples
- "Sorry I’m late." "Don’t worry about it."
- Don’t worry about it — I’ll take care of everything.
no worries
1/nˈoʊ wˈɚiz/
fixed phrase
informal
No problem; don't be anxious
Used to say there is no problem and the other person should not be afraid or unhappy.
Examples
- "Thanks for helping me." "No worries."
- No worries — we can fix it easily.
worry about nothing
1/wˈɚi əbˈaʊt nˈʌθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Feel anxious without a real cause
To feel bad or afraid even though there is no real reason.
Examples
- She often worries about nothing and makes herself stressed.
- Don't worry about nothing — everything is fine.