worried

adjective

wor·​ried ˈwər-ēd 

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

Synonyms

• aflutter
• antsy
• anxious
• atwitter
• dithery
• edgy
• goosey
• het up
• hinky [slang]
• hung up
• ill at ease
• insecure
• jittery
• jumpy
• nervous
• nervy
• perturbed
• queasy
• queazy
• tense
• troubled
• uneasy
• unquiet
• upset
• uptight

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

Extending safety Kyle Hamilton is likely a top priority for the Ravens' front office, but Hamilton isn't too worried about his contract. —Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2025

That’s a lot of CO2, something airlines are increasingly worried about. —Jackie Snow, Quartz, 18 Feb. 2025

With the recent temporary suspensions on research grant reviews and payments for researchers and talk of mass layoffs and budget cuts at the National Science Foundation, scientists are already worried about how science funding will be affected. —Ars Technica, 18 Feb. 2025

Larger fears loom: Some in the agency are worried about future incursions by Elon Musk’s DOGE into NNSA’s highly classified work. —Ella Nilsen, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

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