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Glite Dictionary
to worry about

to worry about

∞ 2.0
Feel afraid about what might happen to someone or something
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈwɜri əˈbaʊt/
translation icon : preocuparse por
  • Parents often worry about their children's safety when they go out at night.
  • worry too much about
  • need to worry about
  • worry about civil rights

And so it's yeah, that's I worry about the near term chaos.

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Examples

  • I told you before to stop worrying so much about me, O.K. ?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • We're not going to get very far as writers if we worry about that.

    Academic text (2008)

  • So we're not too worried about how this looks right now.

  • The school board no longer has to worry about - lack of funding!

    Eating Miss Campbell (2022)

  • Yeah, well, maybe you should worry about Mum instead.

    Back to Black (2024)

  • But I'm constantly worried about my precious cat's health.

  • Don't worry about him, all right?

    Gran Turismo (2023)

  • - Well, you know, they got the best doctors in the country there, so there's nothing for you to worry about.

    Of Things Past (2023)

  • Rational women should continue to worry about that financial risk; doubtless many of them do.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Many Norwegian salmon growers are beginning to worry about the future of the industry.

    Academic text (1990)

Synonyms

to fear
vsto worry about
∞ 1.0

To be afraid that something bad may happen

is milder anxious concern about what might happen rather than intense alarm
to dread
vsto worry about
149 4.8

To feel very afraid about something that may happen

is milder anxious concern rather than intense alarm or panic
to obsess about
vsto worry about
26 6.0

Think too much about something so you feel unhappy

is normal anxious concern rather than excessive unhealthy thinking
to brood over
vsto worry about
3 6.7

Think about something in a worried way for a long time

is a general anxious feeling rather than long deep rumination
to weigh on someone's mind
vsto worry about
1 6.0

To make someone feel worried for a long time

is general anxious concern about possible future events not a persistent burden
to sweat the details
vsto worry about
  • Informal
1 6.7

To worry too much about small, unimportant things

is general concern about outcomes rather than narrow detail focus
to have the wind up
vsto worry about
  • UK
9.8

To feel anxious or nervous before something happens

is concern about outcomes generally rather than short tense anticipation
to fret the gizzard
vsto worry about
  • Informal
9.9

To worry too much about things you cannot control

is moderate anxious concern about possible events, not extreme uncontrollable worry

How Worried

to panic
272 2.3
to worry about
∞ 2.0
to concern
218 2.7

Surface Forms

worry about infinitive
worried about past
worried about past participle
worrying about present participle
worries about third person singular

Morphology

worry + about

The meaning 'to feel anxious or concerned about someone or something' is directly derivable from combining 'worry' (to feel concern) with 'about' (introducing the topic). This verb + preposition composition is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Worry about comes from an old image of animals: people used the verb worry when dogs bit and pulled at sheep, causing harm. From that picture of being bothered and attacked, worry about came to mean 'to feel anxious or concerned about' someone or something.