Meaning & use
a worrier
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Meaning
nouncountable
A person who tends to feel anxious and keeps thinking about possible problems.
Grammar: Countable noun; used with 'a' or 'an' for one person and 'worriers' for more than one: 'He's a worrier' / 'They're worriers.'
Patterns
- be a worrier
- a bit of a worrier
- a natural worrier
My mother is a worrier, so she calls me if I'm five minutes late.
He's a worrier by nature and checks the door three times before leaving.
Don't be such a worrier — the exam will be fine.
Word forms
| plural | worriers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a bit of a worrier
- She's a bit of a worrier when her kids travel.
- a natural worrier
- Even as a child he was a natural worrier.
- a chronic worrier
- My aunt is a chronic worrier and rarely sleeps well.
- a worrier at heart
- He acts calm, but he's a worrier at heart.
Synonyms and how they differ
- worrier
- The bare noun without 'a' works in the plural or after determiners like 'some' or 'any': 'Some worriers need extra reassurance.'
- fusser
- This is less common and suggests making a lot of noise about small problems, not just quiet anxiety.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: a worrier or warrior?
a worrier vs warrior
A warrior is a fighter or soldier; a worrier is someone who worries. The two words sound similar but mean very different things.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a worrier' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase needs the article 'a' and describes a person's character: 'She is a worrier, so she checks her email constantly.' Option C misses the article, and An and D use the wrong pattern for describing a person's nature.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a worrier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.