Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense worries, present participle worrying, past tense, past participle worried
1. verb
If you worry, you keep thinking about problems that you have or about unpleasant things that might happen.
Don't worry, your luggage will come on afterwards by taxi. [VERB]
I worry about her constantly. [VERB + about]
I work in a school so I don't have to worry about finding someone to look after mylittle boy. [Vabout n/-ing]
They worry that extremists might gain control. [VERB that]
Synonyms: be anxious, be concerned, be worried, obsess More Synonyms of worry
2. verb
If someone or something worries you, they make you anxious because you keep thinking about problems or unpleasantthings that might be connected with them.
I'm still in the early days of my recovery and that worries me. [VERB noun]
'Why didn't you tell us?'—'I didn't want to worry you.' [VERB noun]
The English, worried by the growing power of Prince Henry, sent a raiding party toScotland to kill him. [VERB-ed]
Does it worry you that the Americans are discussing this? [itV n that/to-inf]
Synonyms: trouble, upset, harry, bother More Synonyms of worry
3. verb [oft with neg]
If someone or something does not worry you, you do not dislike them or you are not annoyed by them.
[spoken]
The cold doesn't worry me. [VERB noun]
It wouldn't worry me if I never returned to any of those places. [itV n if]
4. uncountable noun
Worry is the state or feeling of anxiety and unhappiness caused by the problems that youhave or by thinking about unpleasant things that might happen.
The admission shows the depth of worry among the Tories over the state of the economy.
His last years were overshadowed by financial worry.
Synonyms: anxiety, concern, care, fear More Synonyms of worry
5. countable noun
A worry is a problem that you keep thinking about and that makes you unhappy.
My main worry was that Madeleine Johnson would still be there.
The worry is that the use of force could make life impossible for the U.N. peacekeepers.
His wife Cheryl said she had no worries about his health. [+ about]
6.
See not to worry
More Synonyms of worry
worry in British English
(ˈwʌrɪ)
verbWord forms: -ries, -rying or -ried
1.
to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous
2. (transitive)
to disturb the peace of mind of; bother
don't worry me with trivialities
3. (intr; often foll by along or through)
to proceed despite difficulties
4. (intransitive; often foll byaway)
to struggle or work
to worry away at a problem
5. (transitive)
(of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc
6. (whenintr, foll by at)
to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teeth
a dog worrying a bone
7. (transitive)
to move as specified, esp by repeated pushes
they worried the log into the river
8. (transitive)
to touch or poke repeatedly and idly
9. obsolete
to choke or cause to choke
10. not to worry
nounWord forms: plural-ries
11.
a state or feeling of anxiety
12.
a person or thing that causes anxiety
13.
an act of worrying
14. no worries
Derived forms
worrying (ˈworrying)
adjective
worryingly (ˈworryingly)
adverb
Word origin
Old English wyrgan; related to Old Frisian wergia to kill, Old High German wurgen (German (er)würgen to strangle), Old Norse virgill, urga rope
worry in American English
(ˈwɜri)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈworried or ˈworrying
1.
a.
to harass or treat roughly with or as with continual biting or tearing with the teeth
a dog worrying a bone
b.
to pluck at, push on, touch, etc. repeatedly in a nervous or determined way
worrying the loose tooth with his tongue
2.
to annoy, bother, harass, vex, etc.
3.
to cause to feel troubled or uneasy; make anxious; distress
verb intransitive
4.
to bite, pull, or tear (at an object) with or as with the teeth
5.
to feel distressed in the mind; be anxious, troubled, or uneasy
6.
to manage to get (along or through) in the face of trials and difficulties
nounWord forms: pluralˈworries
7.
the act of worrying
8.
a troubled state of mind; anxiety; distress; care; uneasiness
9.
something that causes anxiety
SIMILAR WORDS: care
Idioms:
not to worry!
Derived forms
worrier (ˈworrier)
noun
Word origin
ME wirwen < OE wyrgan, to strangle, injure, akin to Ger würgen, to strangle < IE *werĝh-, to twist, choke < base *wer-, to twist > worm
Examples of 'worry' in a sentence
worry
The regulator is worried about concentrations of carbon that could weaken the reactors.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The low ride position may at first make you worry about ground clearance.
The Sun (2016)
Yet this was not the most worrying thing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Do you still worry about your health?
The Sun (2016)
There is no point in worrying about something that may or may not happen.
The Sun (2017)
We're aiming to keep him worried.
The Sun (2016)
If you are worried about intense feelings that overwhelm you all the time, then talk to your GP.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They said their main worry was that their fields might be scorched.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You wonder why you wasted so much time worrying about a little shot.
Christianity Today (2000)
This means they experience anxiety or worry for much of the time.
Atkinson, Jacqueline M Coping with Stress at Work (1988)
Yet financial managers do worry about debt policy.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
This makes us worry more about the possibility of failing at the task before us.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The worry is they may be working too well.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There are possibly more things to worry about in life than waiting two years for a handbag.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
My guess is that responsible dog owners worry about this issue more than any other.
The Sun (2016)
Or perhaps worried about keeping precious digital files on a single smartphone or computer?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They had more important things to worry about.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Something had been worrying me sick all week.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Venice has got its own sinking problems to worry about.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Until this point we had shared all our feelings and our worries.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This has caused much worry to my family.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You can see the worry being wiped away from his innocent little face.
The Sun (2015)
Property experts said that buyer interest had dwindled amid tough loan requirements and worries about the economy.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There are two main zones to worry about.
The Sun (2011)
Parents worried about enormous bills can opt to cap how much data can be downloaded.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The anxiety and worry is barely imaginable.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There are ways to deal with this problem but worrying will make it worse.
The Sun (2015)
There are bigger things in life to worry about.
The Sun (2016)
Insurers continued to be dogged by worries over some of the sovereign dent that they may hold.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There are also many instances of cooperation between sales managers and the financial managers who worry about collections.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
In other languages
worry
British English: worry /ˈwʌrɪ/ VERB
If you worry, you keep thinking about a problem or about something unpleasant that might happen in the future.
Don't worry; your luggage will come on afterwards by taxi.
American English: worry
Arabic: يَقْلَقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: afligir-se
Chinese: 烦恼
Croatian: brinuti se
Czech: strachovat se
Danish: bekymre (sig)
Dutch: zorgen maken (zich)
European Spanish: preocuparse
Finnish: olla huolissaan
French: s’inquiéter
German: sorgen (sich)
Greek: ανησυχώ
Italian: preoccuparsi
Japanese: 心配する
Korean: 걱정하다
Norwegian: engste (seg)
Polish: zmartwić się
European Portuguese: afligir-se
Romanian: a (se) îngrijora
Russian: беспокоиться
Latin American Spanish: preocuparse
Swedish: oroa sig
Thai: วิตกกังวล
Turkish: endişe etmek
Ukrainian: хвилюватися
Vietnamese: lo lắng
British English: worry NOUN
Worry is the state or feeling of anxiety and unhappiness caused by the problems that you have or by thinking about unpleasant things that might happen.
The admission shows the depth of worry among members of the party over the state of the economy.
American English: worry
Brazilian Portuguese: preocupação
Chinese: 忧虑
European Spanish: preocupación
French: inquiétude
German: Sorge
Italian: preoccupazione
Japanese: 心配
Korean: 우려
European Portuguese: preocupação
Latin American Spanish: preocupación
Chinese translation of 'worry'
worry
(ˈwʌrɪ)
n
(u) (= feeling of anxiety) 忧(憂)虑(慮) (yōulǜ)
(c) (= cause of anxiety) 担(擔)心 (dānxīn) (种(種), zhǒng)
vt
使担(擔)心 (shǐ dānxīn)
vi
担(擔)心 (dānxīn)
to worry about or over sth/sb担(擔)心某事/某人 (dānxīn mǒushì/mǒurén)
1 (verb)
Definition
to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy
I worry about my daughter constantly.
Synonyms
be anxious
be concerned
be worried
obsess
brood
He constantly broods about his family.
fret
I was constantly fretting about others' problems.
agonize
I was agonizing over the moral issues involved.
feel uneasy
get in a lather (informal)
get in a sweat (informal)
get in a tizzy (informal)
get overwrought
Opposites
be unconcerned
,
be unperturbed
,
be apathetic
2 (verb)
Definition
to annoy or bother
‘Why didn't you tell us?’ – ‘Didn't want to worry you.’
Synonyms
trouble
Is anything troubling you?
upset
She warned me not to say anything to upset him.
harry
He would exploit and harry his workers.
bother
That kind of jealousy doesn't bother me.
disturb
He had been disturbed by the news of the attack.
distress
I did not want to frighten or distress her.
annoy
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
plague
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
irritate
Their attitude irritates me.
tease
He teased me mercilessly about going there.
unsettle
The presence of the two police officers unsettled her.
torment
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
harass
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
hassle (informal)
The children started hassling me as soon as I sat down.
badger
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
hector
I suppose you'll hector me until I phone him.
disquiet
She was obviously disquieted by the experience.
pester
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
vex
Everything about that man vexes me.
perturb
He didn't seem to be perturbed by the news.
tantalize
importune (formal)
beggars importuning passers-by
make anxious
Opposites
comfort
,
calm
,
soothe
, console,
solace
3 (verb)
Definition
(of a dog) to frighten (sheep or other animals) by chasing and trying to bite them
The dog was shot dead by a farmer for worrying sheep.
Synonyms
attack
bite
kill
tear
go for
harry
savage
A girl was taken to hospital after being savaged by a dog.
harass
lacerate
gnaw at
1 (noun)
Definition
a state or feeling of anxiety
His last years were overshadowed by financial worry.
Synonyms
anxiety
His voice was full of anxiety.
concern
The move follows growing public concern over the spread of the disease.
care
fear
His fear might be groundless.
trouble
misery
All that money brought nothing but misery.
disturbance
torment
We spent our days in torment, waiting for news.
woe
irritation
For the first time he felt irritation at her methods.
unease
He tried to appear casual, but he couldn't conquer his unease.
apprehension
It reflects real anger and apprehension about the future.
misgiving
She had some misgivings about what she was about to do.
annoyance
trepidation (formal)
It was with some trepidation that I viewed the prospect.
perplexity
vexation
Opposites
comfort
,
calm
,
consolation
,
reassurance
,
peace of mind
,
solace
,
serenity
,
tranquillity
2 (noun)
Definition
a cause for anxiety
Robert's health had always been a worry to his wife.
Synonyms
problem
care
He never seemed to have a care in the world.
trouble
She tells me her troubles. I tell her mine.
trial
The whole affair has been a terrible trial for us all.
bother
Most men hate the bother of shaving.
plague (informal)
The traffic can be a real plague at times.
pest
My neighbour's a real pest.
torment
the torments of being a writer
irritation
Don't allow a minor irritation to mar your ambitions.
hassle (informal)
I don't think it's worth the money or the hassle.
annoyance
To her annoyance the stranger did not go away.
vexation
the tribulations and vexations we have to put up with
Additional synonyms
in the sense of agonize
Definition
to worry greatly
I was agonizing over the moral issues involved.
Synonyms
suffer,
labour,
worry,
struggle,
strain,
strive,
writhe,
be distressed,
be in agony,
go through the mill,
be in anguish
in the sense of annoy
Definition
to irritate or displease
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
Synonyms
irritate,
trouble,
bore,
anger,
harry,
bother,
disturb,
provoke,
get (informal),
bug (informal),
needle (informal),
plague,
tease,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
badger,
gall,
madden,
ruffle,
exasperate,
nettle,
molest,
pester,
vex,
displease,
irk,
bedevil,
rile,
peeve,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
get up your nose (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
make your blood boil,
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub someone up the wrong way (informal),
get your goat (slang),
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (British, slang),
get your dander up (informal),
get your back up,
incommode (formal),
put your back up,
hack you off (informal),
be on your back (slang)
in the sense of annoyance
To her annoyance the stranger did not go away.
Synonyms
irritation,
trouble,
anger,
bother,
grief (informal),
harassment,
disturbance,
hassle (informal),
nuisance,
provocation,
displeasure,
exasperation,
aggravation (informal),
vexation,
pique,
bedevilment
Synonyms of 'worry'
worry
Explore 'worry' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of apprehension
Definition
anxiety or dread
It reflects real anger and apprehension about the future.
Synonyms
anxiety,
concern,
fear,
worry,
doubt,
alarm,
suspicion,
dread,
unease,
mistrust,
misgiving,
disquiet,
premonition,
trepidation (formal),
foreboding,
uneasiness,
pins and needles,
apprehensiveness
in the sense of badger
Definition
to pester or harass
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
Synonyms
pester,
worry,
harry,
bother,
bug (informal),
bully,
plague,
hound,
get at,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
chivvy,
importune (formal),
bend someone's ear (informal),
be on someone's back (slang)
in the sense of bother
Definition
to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing
That kind of jealousy doesn't bother me.
Synonyms
trouble,
concern,
worry,
upset,
alarm,
disturb,
distress,
annoy,
dismay,
gall,
disconcert,
vex,
perturb,
faze,
put or get someone's back up
in the sense of bother
Definition
a state of worry, trouble, or confusion
Most men hate the bother of shaving.
Synonyms
trouble,
problem,
worry,
difficulty,
strain,
grief (British, South Africa),
fuss,
pest,
irritation,
hassle (informal),
nuisance,
flurry,
uphill (South Africa),
inconvenience,
annoyance,
aggravation (informal),
vexation
in the sense of brood
Definition
to think long and unhappily about something
He constantly broods about his family.
Synonyms
think,
obsess,
muse,
ponder,
fret,
meditate,
agonize,
mull over,
mope,
ruminate,
eat your heart out,
dwell upon,
repine
in the sense of care
Definition
trouble or worry
He never seemed to have a care in the world.
Synonyms
worry,
concern,
pressure,
trouble,
responsibility,
stress,
burden,
anxiety,
hardship,
woe,
disquiet,
affliction,
tribulation,
perplexity,
vexation
in the sense of concern
Definition
anxiety or worry
The move follows growing public concern over the spread of the disease.
Synonyms
anxiety,
fear,
worry,
distress,
unease,
apprehension,
misgiving,
disquiet,
disquietude
in the sense of disquiet
Definition
to make (someone) anxious
She was obviously disquieted by the experience.
Synonyms
make uneasy,
concern,
worry,
trouble,
upset,
bother,
disturb,
distress,
annoy,
plague,
unsettle,
harass,
hassle (informal),
agitate,
vex,
perturb,
discompose,
incommode
in the sense of distress
Definition
to upset badly
I did not want to frighten or distress her.
Synonyms
upset,
worry,
trouble,
pain,
wound,
bother,
disturb,
dismay,
grieve,
torment,
harass,
afflict,
harrow,
agitate,
sadden,
perplex,
disconcert,
agonize,
fluster,
perturb,
faze,
throw (someone) off balance
in the sense of disturb
Definition
to upset or worry
He had been disturbed by the news of the attack.
Synonyms
upset,
concern,
worry,
trouble,
shake,
excite,
alarm,
confuse,
distress,
distract,
dismay,
unsettle,
agitate,
ruffle,
confound,
unnerve,
vex,
fluster,
perturb,
derange,
discompose
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fear
Definition
a feeling of distress or alarm caused by danger or pain that is about to happen
His fear might be groundless.
Synonyms
anxiety,
concern,
worry,
doubt,
nerves (informal),
distress,
suspicion,
willies (informal),
creeps (informal),
butterflies (informal),
funk (informal),
angst,
unease,
apprehension,
misgiving(s),
nervousness,
agitation,
foreboding(s),
uneasiness,
solicitude,
blue funk (informal),
heebie-jeebies (informal),
collywobbles (informal),
disquietude
in the sense of fret
Definition
to worry
I was constantly fretting about others' problems.
Synonyms
worry,
anguish,
brood,
agonize,
obsess,
lose sleep,
upset yourself,
distress yourself
in the sense of harass
Definition
to trouble or annoy (someone) by repeated attacks, questions, or problems
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
Synonyms
annoy,
trouble,
bother,
worry,
harry,
disturb,
devil (informal),
plague,
bait,
hound,
torment,
hassle (informal),
badger,
persecute,
exasperate,
pester,
vex,
breathe down someone's neck,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
beleaguer
in the sense of harry
Definition
to keep asking (someone) to do something
He would exploit and harry his workers.
Synonyms
pester,
trouble,
bother,
disturb,
worry,
annoy,
plague,
tease,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
badger,
persecute,
molest,
vex,
bedevil,
breathe down someone's neck,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of hassle
Definition
to cause annoyance or trouble to (someone)
The children started hassling me as soon as I sat down.
Synonyms
bother,
bug (informal),
annoy,
harry,
hound,
harass,
badger,
pester,
get on your nerves (informal),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal),
breath down someone's neck
in the sense of hassle
Definition
a great deal of trouble
I don't think it's worth the money or the hassle.
Synonyms
trouble,
problem,
difficulty,
upset,
bother,
grief (informal),
trial,
struggle,
uphill (South Africa),
inconvenience
in the sense of hector
Definition
to bully or torment
I suppose you'll hector me until I phone him.
Synonyms
bully,
harass,
browbeat,
worry,
threaten,
menace,
intimidate,
ride roughshod over,
bullyrag
in the sense of importune
Definition
to harass with persistent requests
beggars importuning passers-by
Synonyms
pester,
press,
plague,
hound,
harass,
besiege,
badger,
beset,
solicit,
dun,
lay siege to,
entreat
in the sense of irritate
Definition
to annoy or anger (someone)
Their attitude irritates me.
Synonyms
annoy,
anger,
bother,
provoke,
offend,
needle (informal),
harass,
infuriate,
aggravate (informal),
incense,
fret,
enrage,
gall,
ruffle,
inflame,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
vex,
irk,
pique,
rankle with,
get under your skin (informal),
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
drive you up the wall (slang),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
rub you up the wrong way (informal),
get your goat (slang),
try your patience,
get in your hair (informal),
get on your wick (informal),
get your dander up (informal),
raise your hackles,
get your back up,
get your hackles up,
put your back up,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of irritation
For the first time he felt irritation at her methods.
Synonyms
annoyance,
anger,
fury,
resentment,
wrath,
gall,
indignation,
impatience,
displeasure,
exasperation,
chagrin,
pique,
irritability,
ill temper,
shortness,
vexation,
ill humour,
testiness,
crossness,
snappiness,
infuriation
Additional synonyms
in the sense of irritation
Don't allow a minor irritation to mar your ambitions.
Synonyms
nuisance,
annoyance,
irritant,
pain (informal),
drag (informal),
bother,
plague (informal),
menace (informal),
tease,
pest,
hassle,
provocation,
gall,
goad,
aggravation (informal),
pain in the neck (informal),
pain in the arse (taboo, slang),
thorn in your flesh
in the sense of misery
Definition
intense unhappiness or suffering
All that money brought nothing but misery.
Synonyms
unhappiness,
distress,
despair,
grief,
suffering,
depression,
torture,
agony,
gloom,
sadness,
discomfort,
torment,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
anguish,
melancholy,
desolation,
wretchedness
in the sense of misgiving
She had some misgivings about what she was about to do.
Synonyms
unease,
worry,
doubt,
anxiety,
suspicion,
uncertainty,
reservation,
hesitation,
distrust,
apprehension,
qualm,
trepidation (formal),
scruple,
dubiety
in the sense of perturb
Definition
to disturb the composure of
He didn't seem to be perturbed by the news.
Synonyms
disturb,
worry,
trouble,
upset,
alarm,
bother,
unsettle,
agitate,
ruffle,
unnerve,
disconcert,
disquiet,
vex,
fluster,
faze,
discountenance,
discompose
in the sense of pest
Definition
an annoying person or thing
My neighbour's a real pest.
Synonyms
nuisance,
bore,
trial,
pain (informal),
drag (informal),
bother,
irritation,
gall,
annoyance,
bane,
pain in the neck (informal),
pain in the arse (taboo, slang),
vexation,
thorn in your flesh
in the sense of pester
Definition
to annoy or nag continually
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
Synonyms
annoy,
worry,
bother,
disturb,
bug (informal),
plague,
torment,
get at,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
harry,
aggravate (informal),
fret,
badger,
pick on,
irk,
bedevil,
chivvy (British),
get on your nerves (informal),
bend someone's ear (informal),
drive you up the wall (slang),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of plague
Definition
to annoy or pester
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
Synonyms
pester,
trouble,
bother,
disturb,
annoy,
tease,
harry,
harass,
hassle,
fret,
badger,
persecute,
molest,
vex,
bedevil,
get on your nerves (informal),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
be on your back (slang),
get in your hair (informal)
in the sense of plague
Definition
a nuisance
The traffic can be a real plague at times.
Synonyms
nuisance,
problem,
pain (informal),
bother,
pest,
hassle (informal),
annoyance,
irritant,
aggravation (informal),
vexation,
thorn in your flesh
in the sense of savage
Definition
to attack ferociously and wound
A girl was taken to hospital after being savaged by a dog.
Synonyms
maul,
tear,
claw,
attack,
mangle,
lacerate,
mangulate (Australian, slang)
in the sense of tease
Definition
to make fun of (someone) in a provocative and often playful manner
He teased me mercilessly about going there.
Synonyms
mock,
bait,
wind up (British, slang),
worry,
bother,
provoke,
annoy,
needle (informal),
plague (informal),
rag,
rib (informal),
torment,
ridicule,
taunt,
aggravate (informal),
badger,
pester,
vex,
goad,
bedevil,
take the mickey out of (informal),
twit,
take the piss out of (taboo, slang),
chaff,
guy (informal),
gibe,
pull someone's leg (informal),
make fun of
Additional synonyms
in the sense of torment
Definition
to tease or pester (a person or animal) in an annoying or cruel way
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
Synonyms
tease,
annoy,
worry,
trouble,
bother,
provoke,
devil (informal),
harry,
plague,
irritate,
hound,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
persecute,
pester,
vex,
bedevil,
chivvy (British),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
lead someone a merry dance (British, informal)
in the sense of torment
Definition
physical or mental pain
We spent our days in torment, waiting for news.
Synonyms
suffering,
distress,
misery,
pain,
hell (informal),
torture,
agony,
anguish
in the sense of torment
Definition
physical or mental pain
the torments of being a writer
Synonyms
trouble,
worry,
bother,
plague (informal),
irritation,
hassle (informal),
nuisance,
annoyance,
bane,
pain in the neck (informal)
in the sense of trepidation
Definition
a state of fear or anxiety
It was with some trepidation that I viewed the prospect.
Synonyms
anxiety,
fear,
worry,
alarm,
emotion,
excitement,
dread,
butterflies (informal),
shaking,
disturbance,
dismay,
trembling,
fright,
apprehension,
tremor,
quivering,
nervousness,
disquiet,
agitation,
consternation,
jitters (informal),
cold feet (informal),
uneasiness,
palpitation,
cold sweat (informal),
perturbation,
blue funk (informal),
the heebie-jeebies (slang)
in the sense of trial
Definition
an annoying or frustrating person or thing
The whole affair has been a terrible trial for us all.
Synonyms
nuisance,
drag (informal),
bother,
plague (informal),
pest,
irritation,
hassle (informal),
bane,
pain in the neck (informal),
pain in the arse (taboo, slang),
vexation,
thorn in your flesh or side
in the sense of unease
Definition
anxiety or nervousness
He tried to appear casual, but he couldn't conquer his unease.
Synonyms
anxiety,
apprehension,
nervousness,
distress,
angst,
disquiet,
trepidation (formal),
uneasiness,
sense of foreboding,
disquietude
in the sense of unsettle
Definition
to confuse or agitate a person or the mind
The presence of the two police officers unsettled her.
Synonyms
disturb,
trouble,
upset,
throw (informal),
bother,
confuse,
disorder,
rattle (informal),
agitate,
ruffle,
unnerve,
disconcert,
unbalance,
fluster,
perturb,
faze,
throw into confusion,
throw off balance,
discompose,
throw into disorder,
throw into uproar
in the sense of upset
Definition
to disturb mentally or emotionally
She warned me not to say anything to upset him.
Synonyms
distress,
trouble,
disturb,
worry,
alarm,
bother,
dismay,
grieve,
hassle (informal),
agitate,
ruffle,
unnerve,
disconcert,
disquiet,
fluster,
perturb,
faze,
throw someone off balance,
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
discompose
in the sense of vex
Definition
to cause (someone) to feel annoyance or irritation
Everything about that man vexes me.
Synonyms
annoy,
bother,
irritate,
worry,
trouble,
upset,
disturb,
distress,
provoke,
bug (informal),
offend,
needle (informal),
plague,
put out,
tease,
torment,
harass,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
afflict,
fret,
gall,
agitate,
exasperate,
nettle,
pester,
displease,
rile,
pique,
peeve (informal),
grate on,
get on your nerves (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
give someone grief (British, South Africa),
get your back up,
put your back up,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of vexation
the tribulations and vexations we have to put up with