worried

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of worriednext
: 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

worried

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of worry entry 1

Examples of worried in a Sentence

Adjective 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.
Adjective
With rising yields on CRWV’s unsecured debt and higher rates broadly, the market is increasingly worried about CRWV’s future cost of capital. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 Community relations knows what people living near a project are worried about. — Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 When a worried Carla calls, Smallwood, who is always there, tells Morgan not to pick up. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 This kind of energized base was even what regime officials were worried about losing right prior to this conflict. — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worried

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worried was in 1624

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Worried.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worried. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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
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