# worry about

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/worry-about
Updated: 2026-07-26

## Definition

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

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

## Examples

- Don't worry about the mess; I will clean it later.
- Many parents worry about their children's safety when they start walking to school alone.
- Economists worry about the long-term implications of rising inflation on the purchasing power of middle-income households.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I am worrying for my exams." but "I am worrying about my exams." — Learners often incorrectly use 'for' instead of the standard preposition 'about' with this verb.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.