Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

wor|ried ◆◇◇ /wʌ rid, [AM ] wɜː rid/ ADJ [ADJ that] When you are worried , you are unhappy because you keep thinking about problems that you have or about unpleasant things that might happen in the future. □  He seemed very worried. □ [+ about ] If you're at all worried about his progress, do discuss it with one of his teachers. ●  wor|ried|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □  'You don't have to go, you know,' she said worriedly.

wor|ri|er /wʌ riə ^r , [AM ] wɜː riər/ (worriers ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a worrier , you mean that they spend a lot of time thinking about problems that they have or unpleasant things that might happen.

wor|ri|some /wʌ r I səm, [AM ] wɜː r-/ ADJ Something that is worrisome causes people to worry. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, usually use worrying

wor|ry ◆◆◇ /wʌ ri, [AM ] wɜː ri/ (worries , worrying , worried )

1 VERB If you worry , you keep thinking about problems that you have or about unpleasant things that might happen. □ [V ] Don't worry, your luggage will come on afterwards by taxi. □ [V + about ] I worry about her constantly. □ [V that] They worry that extremists might gain control.

2 VERB If someone or something worries you, they make you anxious because you keep thinking about problems or unpleasant things that might be connected with them. □ [V n] I'm still in the early days of my recovery and that worries me. □ [V n] 'Why didn't you tell us?'—'I didn't want to worry you.'

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 ] □ [V n] The cold doesn't worry me.

4 N‑UNCOUNT 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. □  His last years were overshadowed by financial worry.

5 N‑COUNT 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. □ [+ about ] His wife Cheryl said she had no worries about his health.

wor|ry|ing /wʌ ri I ŋ, [AM ] wɜː ri I ŋ/ in AM, usually use worrisome ADJ If something is worrying , it causes people to worry. [mainly BRIT ] □  It's worrying that they're doing things without training. □  …a new and worrying report about smoking. ●  wor|ry|ing|ly ADV [ADV adj] □  The rate of assaults was worryingly high.

worse ◆◇◇ /wɜː ^r s/

1Worse is the comparative of bad .

2Worse is the comparative of badly .

3Worse is used to form the comparative of compound adjectives beginning with 'bad' and 'badly.' For example, the comparative of 'badly off' is 'worse off'.

4 PHRASE If a situation goes from bad to worse , it becomes even more unpleasant or unsatisfactory. □  For the past couple of years my life has gone from bad to worse.

5 PHRASE If a situation changes for the worse , it becomes more unpleasant or more difficult. □  The grandparents sigh and say how things have changed for the worse.

6 PHRASE If a person or thing is the worse for something, they have been harmed or badly affected by it. If they are none the worse for it, they have not been harmed or badly affected by it. □  Father came home from the pub very much the worse for drink. □  They are all apparently fit and well and none the worse for the fifteen hour journey.

7for better or worse → see better