Worryers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who experience anxiety or concern about various aspects of life
2. those who constantly fret over potential problems or outcomes
3. people characterized by a tendency to be preoccupied with fears and stressors in their environment

Etymology: "Worryers" is the plural of "worrier," so the story lies in "worry." That verb began in Old English as "wyrgan," meaning to strangle, and it is related to German "würgen," which still means to choke or throttle. The sense of savaging and shaking something came later: a dog that seized a sheep and shook it was said to worry it, and the image of being gripped and shaken by anxiety grew from that. "Worrier" is formed by adding the agent suffix "-er" to the verb, naming someone who habitually frets, and "worryers" is its plural.

Synonyms: anxious people, concerned individuals, nervous people, apprehensive persons, fretters

Antonyms: calm people, carefree people, relaxed persons, unworried individuals, confidents