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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Worry: Meaning, Examples, and Common Uses (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：feel anxious (worry)

worry 🔊

/ˈwʌri/

v., n.

To feel unhappy because you keep thinking about something bad that might happen.

Worried person sitting on bed at night feeling anxious about problems

feel anxious 🔊

➕

/fiːl ˈæŋkʃəs/

v., n.

To experience a state of unease or anxiety because one is thinking about something that may cause problems or unhappiness.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Old English 'wyrgan' (to strangle); figurative sense of mental distress.

💡 Mnemonic

'Worry' sounds like 'wring'—wringing hands, physical twist to mental anxiety.

📖 Example

Worrying too much about the exam won't help you study better; take a deep breath and focus. 🔊 Worrying too much about the exam won't help you study better; take a deep breath and focus.

🔗 Collocations

worry about – be anxious about something

worry that – be concerned that something may happen

don't worry – used to reassure someone not to be anxious

🔄 Synonyms

fret (v.) – to feel or express worry, annoyance, or discontent

fuss (v.) – to show excessive or unnecessary concern about something

agonize (v.) – to suffer extreme physical or mental pain, especially in making a decision

🚫 Antonyms

relax (v.) – to become less tense or anxious

calm down (phr. v.) – to become peaceful and free from worry

ignore (v.) – to refuse to pay attention to something that might cause worry

🌱 Derivatives

worried (adj.) – feeling or showing worry

worrying (adj.) – causing worry

worrier (n.) – a person who worries a lot

📖 Cultural Story

From Old English 'wyrgan' meaning 'to strangle'; the modern sense of mental anguish developed as a metaphor for feeling choked by anxiety.

Meaning 2：cause of anxiety (worry)

worry 🔊

/ˈwʌri/

v., n.

A thing that makes you feel unhappy and anxious because you think about it a lot.

Notepad titled My Worries listing concerns like interview and health

cause of anxiety 🔊

➕

/kɔːz əv æŋˈzaɪəti/

v., n.

A specific problem or concern that causes a person to feel uneasy or anxious.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My biggest worry right now is how to pay for university next year. 🔊 My biggest worry right now is how to pay for university next year.

🔗 Collocations

biggest worry – the most significant cause of anxiety

worry list – a list of things that cause anxiety

financial worry – a concern related to money

🔄 Synonyms

concern (n.) – a matter of interest or importance to someone

anxiety (n.) – a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome

problem (n.) – a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with

🚫 Antonyms

solution (n.) – a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation

relief (n.) – a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress

peace of mind (phr.) – a state of mental calm and tranquility, free from worry

🌱 Derivatives

worries (n. pl.) – multiple causes of anxiety

worrisome (adj.) – causing worry or anxiety