Overworry

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To excessively fret or become anxious about something beyond reasonable concern ; to engage in persistent, unnecessary worrying ; to dwell on potential problems or outcomes with undue intensity
2. To experience heightened and unwarranted anxiety or concern over situations ; to repeatedly think about possible negative events without constructive purpose ; to let apprehension dominate one’s thoughts unnecessarily
3. To be excessively preoccupied with concerns or fears to the point of distress ; to ruminate excessively on unfavorable possibilities ; to allow oneself to be dominated by needless stress or nervousness

Etymology: "Overworry" is a plain formation: the prefix "over-", meaning excessively or beyond what is appropriate, attached to "worry". The base verb "worry" traces back to Old English "wyrgan", meaning to strangle, and only later shifted toward harassing and then to mental anxiety. Adding "over-" to it produces a verb meaning to worry to an excessive degree, and the pattern is one English has long used to build new verbs from existing ones, such as "overwork" or "overthink". The prefix does the work here: it doesn't change the basic sense of worrying but intensifies it, turning ordinary concern into the kind of preoccupation that causes distress. The word is a transparent compound, so its meaning can be read directly from its parts.

Synonyms: overanalyze, overthink, fret, agonize, brood

Antonyms: relax, calm, reassure, comfort, ease