Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

worrying

/ˈwʌɹi.ɪŋ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.12 in modern English

Syllables: wor-ry-ing
IPA: /ˈwʌɹi.ɪŋ/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Inducing worry.

verb

present participle and gerund of worry

noun

The act of worrying or harassing somebody.

Example Sentences

"Moldova did give England's under-employed keeper Joe Hart a worrying moment when Igor Armas sent a free header wide but otherwise it was an easy night."
"Redundancies accounted for a smaller proportion of the change, although no less significant to those affected. Rail News, BR's staff magazine, included a coda to its August 1964 assessment of the Beeching cuts: "For the individuals involved it is a worrying time [...] Rail News feels deeply for those affected and expresses the sympathy of its readers with them.""
"There is a snaky gleam in her hard grey eye, as of anticipated rounds of buttered toast, relays of hot chops, worryings and quellings of young children, sharp snappings at poor Berry, and all the other delights of her Ogress's castle."

Etymology

From worry + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: werying
Suffix: worry

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈwʌɹi.ɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

more worrying (comparative) most worrying (superlative) worryings (plural)

Synonyms

disquieting distressing distressful disturbing perturbing troubling worrisome badgering torment bedevilment

Rhymes With

hurrying scurrying currying

Questions

How do you pronounce worrying?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwʌɹi.ɪŋ/.
What does worrying mean?: Inducing worry.
Where does worrying come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce worrying

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “worrying”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈwʌɹi.ɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “worrying”.
Repeat and practice — Say “worrying” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.