worrywart

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worrywart

A worrywart sits at the kitchen table, anxiously checking the weather forecast.

Definition

Noun: A person who habitually worries excessively or needlessly about potential problems or unfortunate events that might occur.

Usage

A "worrywart" is a mildly informal or colloquial term used to describe someone who is constantly anxious or fretful, often about things that are unlikely to happen. It carries a tone of gentle teasing or affectionate criticism rather than harsh judgment.

Examples
  • She's such a worrywart; she starts fretting about being late a full two hours before we need to leave.
  • Don't be such a worrywart! The weather forecast is fine for our picnic.
  • My father is a classic worrywart, always imagining the worst-case scenario for every situation.
Advanced Usage
  • The term can sometimes be used reflexively or in self-description: "I know I'm being a worrywart, but I just want to make sure everything is perfect."
  • It functions as a predicate noun following linking verbs like "is" or "being."
Variants and Related Words
  • Worry (verb/noun): The root word, meaning to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.
  • Worrier (noun): A more neutral synonym for a person who worries.
  • Pessimist (noun): A person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believes the worst will happen. This is related but focuses on a negative outlook rather than the anxious feeling itself.
Synonyms
  • Fussbudget: A person who is fussy or fretful about minor details.
  • Nervous Nellie (idiomatic, informal): A timid, worrying, or overly cautious person.
  • Anxious person: A more formal and direct description.
Idioms and Related Phrases
  • To worry oneself sick: To worry so much that it makes one feel ill.
    • Example: She'll worry herself sick over the exam results if we don't distract her.
  • To borrow trouble: To worry about something that may not happen (similar in concept to a worrywart's behavior).
    • Example: There's no point borrowing trouble by imagining all the things that could go wrong.
worrywart

A worrywart sits at the kitchen table, anxiously checking the weather forecast.

Noun
  1. thinks about unfortunate things that might happen

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