From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Worry \Wor"ry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Worried}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Worrying}.] [OE. worowen, wirien, to strangle, AS. wyrgan in
[=a]wyrgan; akin to D. worgen, wurgen, to strangle, OHG.
wurgen, G. w["u]rgen, Lith. verszti, and perhaps to E.
wring.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly;
also, to tear or mangle with the teeth.
[1913 Webster]
A hellhound that doth hunt us all to death;
That dog that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. To harass or beset with importunity, or with care an
anxiety; to vex; to annoy; to torment; to tease; to fret;
to trouble; to plague. "A church worried with
reformation." --South.
[1913 Webster]
Let them rail,
And worry one another at their pleasure. --Rowe.
[1913 Webster]
Worry him out till he gives consent. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
3. To harass with labor; to fatigue. [Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
worrying
adj 1: causing distress or worry or anxiety; "distressing (or
disturbing) news"; "lived in heroic if something
distressful isolation"; "a disturbing amount of crime";
"a revelation that was most perturbing"; "a new and
troubling thought"; "in a particularly worrisome
predicament"; "a worrying situation"; "a worrying time"
[syn: {distressing}, {distressful}, {disturbing},
{perturbing}, {troubling}, {worrisome}, {worrying}]
n 1: the act of harassing someone [syn: {badgering}, {worrying},
{torment}, {bedevilment}]
2: the act of moving something by repeated tugs or pushes;
"vigorous worrying finally loosened the saw"
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