transitive verb worried -·ried, worrying -·ry·ing

1. 1. to harass or treat roughly with or as with continual biting or tearing with the teeth a dog worrying a bone
   2. 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

Etymology: ME wirwen < OE wyrgan, to strangle, injure, akin to Ger würgen, to strangle < IE *werĝh-, to twist, choke < base *wer-, to twist > worm

intransitive verb

1. to bite, pull, or tear (at an object) with or as with the teeth
2. to feel distressed in the mind; be anxious, troubled, or uneasy
3. to manage to get (along or through) in the face of trials and difficulties

noun pl. worries -·ries

1. the act of worrying
2. a troubled state of mind; anxiety; distress; care; uneasiness
3. something that causes anxiety