worrying

verb

Definition of worryingnext
present participle of worry
1
as in fretting
to experience concern or anxiety they worried for days about whether the loan would be approved

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy those strange noises outside the house worry me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of worrying While the sports industrial complex has largely been immune from America’s trust crisis, new concerns over betting’s influence on game integrity are not only worrying fans like Brannock, but also league officials. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 McCarthy reunited with Aaron Rodgers, his old Super Bowl quarterback, and Harbaugh inherited Jaxson Dart as the Giants’ established young starter and spent August worrying more about protecting him than replacing him. — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Then the bear quit worrying about the rifle barrel and directed her attention to McCoy’s head. — Jan Thacker, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026 Counsell said the players aren’t worrying about postseason positioning right now. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 The war in Ukraine has Paris worrying that Russia might next target one of France's NATO allies, a potential path to wider conflict. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Now, is the fact that the house itself is eerily turning them into better versions of themselves worth worrying about? — Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026 Scientists now are spending an increasing amount of time worrying about keeping the lights on and people employed, which ultimately distracts from time spent doing research. — Abdullah Shihipar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars. — Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worrying
  1. fretting
  2. bothering
  3. stressing
  4. alarming
  5. fearing
  6. disturbing
  7. sweating
  8. distracting
Verb
  • Republican leadership was, once again, fretting over whether frustrations among some hardline conservatives would effectively freeze the legislative agenda.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Across the developed world, central bankers are fretting over the same issues.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fretting
Verb
  • Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • Both leaders warn that even giants like Amazon aren't too big to fail, stressing customer focus and constant adaptation.
    — Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • After the recent brawls, both teams released statements stressing the importance of a safe ballpark environment.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of stressing
Verb
  • The development proved alarming enough that OpenAI vowed last week to slow the release of its upcoming Astra AI model.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Found in many foods For consumers, of course, the latest food safety concerns can be alarming given that lettuce and jalapeño peppers are used in many of the roughly 1 billion meals Americans consume daily.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarming
Verb
  • Fans would be talking themselves into 10 wins and a breakout season from Bryce Underwood while quietly fearing the bottom might drop out.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The homeowners, fearing someone was attempting to break in, called 911.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fearing
Verb
  • Since each qubit is individually connected to the coupler, each qubit can be individually reset without disturbing its neighboring qubits.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Kyiv authorities told parents to prepare for the possibility of attacks disturbing school and urged them to teach their children what to do during an alert.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • The air was already at blood heat outside, and the men were sweating freely.
    — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Heat cramps typically occur after exerting yourself in the heat and sweating a lot.
    — Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of sweating
Verb
  • Some found the logo distracting, but Google Search interest in YouTube TV more than doubled.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Naturepedic data shows just how distracting the mental load can be.
    — Parents, Parents, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracting

Browse Nearby Words

worry
worrying
worrywart
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Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worrying. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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