worried

adjective

wor·​ried ˈwər-ēd How to pronounce worried (audio)
ˈwə-rēd
: mentally troubled or concerned : feeling or showing concern or anxiety about what is happening or might happen
worried parents
a worried frown
I'm not too worried about the weather.
He was worried sick. [=extremely worried]
But the technological intrusion of prenatal testing leaves expectant parents more worried than reassured.Ronni Sandroff
There was an ominous and worried expression on their faces.Jack London
… his mother was so worried she sent for the doctor.E. B. White
worriedly adverb
"Well, what did you think when you heard the news?" Jimmy asked us worriedly. Bobbie Ann Mason
… Roy thought it was from a snakebite, and worriedly glanced around. Carl Hiaasen

Examples of worried in a Sentence

the soldier's father had a worried expression as he listened to the news
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ben Affleck is not worried about AI taking over Hollywood. Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 Nov. 2024 At the same time, Democrats hoped that all their voters would be willing to cast their ballot for democracy, not realizing that many working-class Americans, even the liberal ones, are more worried about the economy and inflation. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024 That escalation in imports was more related to the concerns of holiday product in U.S. warehouses, whereas this time, shippers would be more worried about potential costs incurred when the next administration enters the White House. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Nov. 2024 Despite seeing the news about AI automation and driverless vehicles such as Waymo, Castaneda isn’t worried about his job being eliminated. Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for worried 

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worried was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near worried

Cite this Entry

“Worried.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worried. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

worried

adjective
wor·​ried
ˈwər-ēd,
ˈwə-rēd
: having worries : marked by or showing worry
very worried about the test
a worried look
worriedly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on worried

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!