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WORRYING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The act of moving something by repeated tugs or pushes
Example:
vigorous worrying finally loosened the saw
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("worrying" is a kind of...):
agitation (the act of agitating something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously))
Sense 2
Meaning:
The act of harassing someone
Synonyms:
badgering; bedevilment; torment; worrying
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
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)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Causing distress or worry or anxiety
Example:
a worrying time
Synonyms:
distressful; distressing; disturbing; perturbing; troubling; worrisome; worrying
Classified under:
Similar:
heavy (marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness)
III. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb worry
Context examples:
“Last evening after tea,” pursued Miss Murdstone, “I observed the little dog starting, rolling, and growling about the drawing-room, worrying something. I said to Miss Spenlow, “Dora, what is that the dog has in his mouth? It's paper.”
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
Well, something was worrying him the night before, and if it was to do with money it is possible that he would make for his nearest relative, who had so much of it, though from all I have heard he would not have much chance of getting it.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
But, however, I soon found it would not do; he was bent upon going, and as I hate to be worrying and officious, I said no more; but my heart quite ached for him at every jolt, and when we got into the rough lanes about Stoke, where, what with frost and snow upon beds of stones, it was worse than anything you can imagine, I was quite in an agony about him.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
There is a patience of the wild—dogged, tireless, persistent as life itself—that holds motionless for endless hours the spider in its web, the snake in its coils, the panther in its ambuscade; this patience belongs peculiarly to life when it hunts its living food; and it belonged to Buck as he clung to the flank of the herd, retarding its march, irritating the young bulls, worrying the cows with their half-grown calves, and driving the wounded bull mad with helpless rage.
(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)
We had hardly reached the hall when we heard the baying of a hound, and then a scream of agony, with a horrible worrying sound which it was dreadful to listen to.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
He read them aloud, and Martin approved, worrying at the same time as to when Joe would take himself off.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
All the way to Putney, Agnes being inside the stage-coach, and I outside, I pictured Dora to myself in every one of the pretty looks I knew so well; now making up my mind that I should like her to look exactly as she looked at such a time, and then doubting whether I should not prefer her looking as she looked at such another time; and almost worrying myself into a fever about it.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
When they had laughed at Beth's story, they asked their mother for one, and after a moments thought, she said soberly, "As I sat cutting out blue flannel jackets today at the rooms, I felt very anxious about Father, and thought how lonely and helpless we should be, if anything happened to him. It was not a wise thing to do, but I kept on worrying till an old man came in with an order for some clothes. He sat down near me, and I began to talk to him, for he looked poor and tired and anxious.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
William, determined to make this last day a day of thorough enjoyment, was out snipe-shooting; Edmund, she had too much reason to suppose, was at the Parsonage; and left alone to bear the worrying of Mrs. Norris, who was cross because the housekeeper would have her own way with the supper, and whom she could not avoid though the housekeeper might, Fanny was worn down at last to think everything an evil belonging to the ball, and when sent off with a parting worry to dress, moved as languidly towards her own room, and felt as incapable of happiness as if she had been allowed no share in it.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
Martin began, that morning, a story which he had sketched out a number of weeks before and which ever since had been worrying him with its insistent clamor to be created.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
