Meaning & use
concerned
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Worried or troubled about something that is happening or might happen.
Grammar: Often followed by about or that: concerned about the delay.
Patterns
- concerned about something
- concerned that clause
- concerned for someone
Parents are concerned about the new traffic on their street.
I'm concerned that she hasn't called.
He looked concerned when he heard the news.
adjectiveafter a verbformal
Involved in or affected by a matter, placed right after the noun it describes.
Grammar: Comes after the noun: the people concerned.
Patterns
- everyone concerned
- the parties concerned
The decision satisfied everyone concerned.
All the departments concerned were informed.
The persons concerned will be contacted by letter.
adjectiveafter a verb
Interested in or caring about something, wanting to deal with it properly.
Grammar: Used with with: concerned with quality.
Patterns
- concerned with something
- concerned with doing something
The charity is concerned with protecting wildlife.
She's only concerned with winning.
This chapter is concerned with the early history of the town.
Word forms
| comparative | more concerned |
|---|---|
| superlative | most concerned |
Common combinations
- deeply concerned
- Doctors are deeply concerned about the rise in cases.
- concerned about
- I'm concerned about the cost.
- concerned citizen
- A concerned citizen reported the fire.
- as far as I'm concerned
- As far as I'm concerned, the matter is closed.
- all concerned
- The result was good for all concerned.
Synonyms and how they differ
- worried
- Worried is the everyday word and sounds more personal and stronger.
- anxious
- Anxious points to nervous unease and can be more intense.
- involved
- Involved only means taking part, with no emotion.
- troubled
- Troubled suggests a deeper distress and is slightly more formal.
Opposites
Word family
- concern noun
- worry or something that matters to you
- concern verb
- to worry or be about
- concerning preposition
- about or regarding
- unconcerned adjective
- not worried
Commonly confused: concerned or concerned vs. concerning?
concerned vs concerned vs. concerning
Concerned describes a person who is worried; concerning means about, or is worrying in itself.
Practice
The teachers are ___ about how many students are missing class.
Choose one answer.
Concerned is the adjective for feeling worried, used with about. Concerning is not used for a person's feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “concerned”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.