ENGLISH
REFERENCE

worry about

phrasal verb.
A2 Elementary
Definition

phrasal verb. to feel nervous or unhappy because you are thinking about problems or bad things that might happen.

phrasal verb. to experience anxiety or apprehension regarding a specific subject or potential outcome. The verb is intransitive but takes a prepositional object introduced by 'about'.


SIMPLE

Don't worry about the mess; I will clean it later.

CONTEXTUAL

Many parents worry about their children's safety when they start walking to school alone.

COMPLEX

Economists worry about the long-term implications of rising inflation on the purchasing power of middle-income households.

Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
worry + about + object
Usage

The object is usually the cause of the anxiety, such as a person, a situation, or a future event.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'care about' (to find something important) to help students distinguish between anxiety and general interest.

Pitfall

I am worrying for my exams.I am worrying about my exams.Learners often incorrectly use 'for' instead of the standard preposition 'about' with this verb.

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