CONCERN Synonyms: 233 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'concern' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of concern are anxiety , care , solicitude , and worry . While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection. // crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

Q: When could 'anxiety' be used to replace 'concern'?

In some situations, the words anxiety and concern are roughly equivalent. However, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure. // plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

Q: When is 'care' a more appropriate choice than 'concern'?

The words care and concern are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension. // a face worn by years of care

Q: When can 'solicitude' be used instead of 'concern'?

The synonyms solicitude and concern are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another. // acted with typical maternal solicitude

Q: When is it sensible to use 'worry' instead of 'concern'?

While the synonyms worry and concern are close in meaning, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety. // financial worries

concern 1 of 2

noun

Definition of concern next

as in interest

a commercial or industrial activity or organization several banking concerns in the area

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in worry

an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble the recent crime wave has caused a great deal of concern in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

concern

2 of 2

verb

kən-ˈsərn

as in to cover

to have (something) as a subject matter the book concerns the challenges faced by children growing up in single-parent households

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to affect

to be the business or affair of the problems of air and water pollution that concern all of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to worry

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy we were greatly concerned by reports that yet another previously unknown virus is now posing a threat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word concern distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of concern are anxiety, care, solicitude, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When could anxiety be used to replace concern?

In some situations, the words anxiety and concern are roughly equivalent. However, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

When is care a more appropriate choice than concern?

The words care and concern are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can solicitude be used instead of concern?

The synonyms solicitude and concern are sometimes interchangeable, but solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When is it sensible to use worry instead of concern?

While the synonyms worry and concern are close in meaning, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Examples 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 concern

Noun

Although the most recent polling had Coloradans evenly split over the issue, the results show that the majority of Colorado voters heeded the concerns voiced by the state’s hunters, conservationists, and wildlife experts. —

Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024 There are also other valid concerns about AI power demands and AI bias. —

David Nield, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024

Verb

This is especially concerning for industries where human touch is crucial—like healthcare or financial services. —

Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 While the names of the banks are not shown and the content is only described, the letters overwhelmingly concern banks seeking to offer some kind of crypto-asset service and being told by the FDIC to hold off while further review is conducted. —

Brady Dale, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for concern

Recent Examples of Synonyms for concern

Noun

And that, in turn, would run directly counter to Trump’s goal of maintaining lower interest rates as part of a policy of accelerating economic growth.

Rob Wile, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Fed officials on Thursday are widely expected to lower their benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, a move that will come on the heels of a half-point cut in September.

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024