Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

worry noun

ADJ. big, considerable, great, main, major, real, serious Paying the mortgage is a big worry for many people. Her mother's poor health caused her considerable worry. My greatest worry is that he'll do something stupid. | slight | constant The money side of things has been a constant worry. | unnecessary She gave her parents unnecessary worry when she forgot to phone them. | immediate My immediate worry is money. | nagging, niggling I had a nagging worry that we weren't going to get there. | secret It was a relief to share my secret worries with him. | business, economic, financial, money | health

VERB + WORRY have That year he had major health worries. | be beset by She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries. | be frantic/ill/out of your mind/sick with I didn't know where he was and I was frantic with worry. | express | share | cause (sb), give sb | arouse, prompt The earth tremors prompted worries of a second major earthquake. | add to, increase The fact that she heard nothing from him only increased her worry. | forget Try and forget your worries for a little while. | ease | remove, take out Take the worry out of travelling with our holiday insurance offer.

WORRY + VERB disappear | prove groundless/unfounded Most of Nigel's worries proved groundless.

PREP. amid ~ The pound has fallen to a new low amid worries that the British economy is heading for trouble. | with ~ He was sick with worry about everything. | ~ about, ~ over They will not have worries over money. | ~ to His mother's health is an enormous worry to him.

PHRASES cause for worry There is no immediate cause for worry. | free from worry, freedom from worry, have no worries on that account/score The staff all work very hard?we've got no worries on that account. | the least of your worries When he lost his job, the size of his flat was the least of his worries. | a source of worry Money is a constant source of worry.

worry verb

ADV. a lot, particularly, really, terribly She worries a lot about crime. What really worries me is what we do if there's nobody there. | slightly | needlessly, unduly, unnecessarily You do worry unnecessarily, you know. | not too much Don't worry too much about it. | constantly

VERB + WORRY not let sth, not need to Don't let it worry you unduly. | begin to | tell sb not to

PREP. about Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. | with Don't worry the driver with unnecessary requests.

PHRASES enough/nothing to worry about Don't bother Harry?he has enough to worry about as it is. | stop worrying Stop worrying, Dad, we'll be fine. | worry yourself sick/to death (informal)