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Glite Dictionary
worrywart

worrywart

5 8.2
A person who often feels anxious about small or unlikely problems
  • noun
  • /ˈwɜriˌwɔrt/
  • Informal
translation icon : preocupón
  • My friend tends to be a worrywart, constantly fretting over scenarios that may never occur.
  • a big worrywart

Examples

  • He just wished that she'd stop being such a worrywart.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Oh, my God, you are just such a worrywart!

    Good Deeds (2012)

  • Stop being such a worrywart.

    The Senior (2025)

  • Please, you are such a worrywart.

    Bermuda Triangle Exposed (2011)

  • Otto's a bit of a worrywart.

    The Garfield Movie (2024)

  • Don't be such a worrywart.

    Radio Free Albemuth (2010)

  • I'm a worrywart.

    Stone Cold (1991)

  • He says he doesn't get along well with you because you're a worrywart.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Whenever a storm is forecast, she's always the first to panic, proving she's quite the worrywart.

  • He's such a worrywart that he can't enjoy a vacation without stressing about work.

Synonyms

worrier
vsworrywart
8 3.2

A person who often feels nervous about small problems

is constantly anxious especially about things that may never happen
fussbudget
vsworrywart
  • Informal
1 8.8

A person who often complains about small, not important things

is more about continuous future-focused anxiety than repeated complaints about trivialities
fusspot
vsworrywart
  • Informal
1 9.5

A person who worries about small details and wants everything neat

is constantly anxious about future possibilities rather than only details
angst bunny
vsworrywart
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who worries too much about small imagined problems

focuses on constant anxiety about things that may never happen rather than general worry
botherer
vsworrywart
7.7

A person who worries a lot about small things

is continuously anxious about unlikely future events rather than momentary upset
fuss-budget
vsworrywart
  • Informal
9.9

A person who worries about small things for no reason

is centered on constant anxiety about things that may never occur rather than trivial matters

Antonyms

optimist
63 3.2

A person who usually expects good things to happen

How Worried

worrywart
  • Informal
5 8.2
worrier
8 3.2

Surface Forms

worrywart singular
worrywarts plural

Morphology

worrywart = worry + wart (semi-transparent) = worry + wart

The component 'worry' clearly signals anxiousness, but 'wart' is used metaphorically as a derogatory formative and not its literal skin-growth meaning, so the full sense is not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Worrywart is a playful mix of worry and wart, where wart means 'a small, annoying bump on the skin', so you can picture a tiny 'worry' that won't go away. That's why a worrywart is someone who keeps worrying, often about things that may never happen.