WORRYING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does worrying mean? 

• WORRYING (noun)
  The noun WORRYING has 2 senses:

1. the act of harassing someone

2. the act of moving something by repeated tugs or pushes

  Familiarity information: WORRYING used as a noun is rare.

• WORRYING (adjective)
  The adjective WORRYING has 1 sense:

1. causing distress or worry or anxiety

  Familiarity information: WORRYING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WORRYING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of harassing someone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

badgering; bedevilment; torment; worrying

Hypernyms ("worrying" is a kind of...):

harassment; molestation (the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism)

Derivation:

worry (disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of moving something by repeated tugs or pushes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

vigorous worrying finally loosened the saw

Hypernyms ("worrying" is a kind of...):

agitation (the act of agitating something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously))

• WORRYING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Causing distress or worry or anxiety

Synonyms:

distressful; distressing; disturbing; perturbing; troubling; worrisome; worrying

Context example:

a worrying time

Similar:

heavy (marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness)

 Context examples 

A question about whether an individual is not or was not able to stop or control worrying.

(Not Able to Stop or Control Worrying, NCI Thesaurus)

They are just asleep after worrying all day.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

When she wouldn’t do it, he kept on worrying her until she got brain-fever, and for six weeks was at death’s door.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You are a realistic soul, and you don’t spend time worrying about things you cannot change, so you focused only on the situations that you could improve, fix, or advance.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

His bicycle and black suit were again in pawn, and the type-writer people were once more worrying about the rent.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) Not being able to stop or control worrying.

(GAD-7 - Not Being Able to Stop or Control Worrying, NCI Thesaurus)

Call your doctor or midwife if something is bothering or worrying you.

(Health Problems in Pregnancy, NIH)

There was no fight left in Lip-lip, and he ran away shamelessly, his victim hot on his heels and worrying him all the way back to his own tepee.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The WMO says the overall long-term warming trend since the late 1970s is worrying and cannot be ignored.

(World Meteorological Org.: Arctic Warming Appears Irreversible, VOA)

At first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)