worriment
Very Low / ArchaicLiterary, Humorous, Archaic, Dialectal
Definition
Meaning
A state or feeling of anxiety, worry, or mental unease.
Something that causes worry or anxiety; a source of trouble or concern.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Worriment" is a less common, often humorous or old-fashioned nominalization of "worry." It can refer both to the state of being worried and to the object of worry. Its use often adds a quaint, slightly whimsical, or deliberate tone.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Historically more common in American English, particularly in older or regional (e.g., Southern, New England) usage. It is now archaic/rare in both varieties, with a slightly stronger residual presence in some US dialects.
Connotations
Conveys a folksy, gentle, or self-consciously old-fashioned tone. It can soften the harshness of 'worry' or 'anxiety'.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary standard English. Appears mostly in historical texts, deliberate archaisms, dialect writing, or for humorous effect.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be a source of worriment to [someone]cause [someone] worrimentsuffer from worrimentspare [someone] the worriment ofVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms exist for 'worriment' itself]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually unused.
Academic
Virtually unused, except in historical linguistics or literary analysis.
Everyday
Rare; if used, it is for deliberate, gentle humour or to sound quaint.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He did not want to worriment his mother with the news.
- (Extremely rare; 'worry' is used instead)
American English
- Don't you worriment yourself over that, son. (Dialectal, archaic)
adverb
British English
- [No adverb form exists for 'worriment']
American English
- [No adverb form exists for 'worriment']
adjective
British English
- [No adjective form exists for 'worriment']
American English
- [No adjective form exists for 'worriment']
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I have no worriment. (Deliberately simple/archaic)
- Her constant worriment about the weather was amusing.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an old-fashioned gentleman saying, "All this WORRY has me in a STATE of MENT-al distress" -> WORRY + STATE + MENT = WORRIMENT.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORRY IS A BURDEN ("weighed down by worriment"), WORRY IS A DISEASE/AFFLICTION ("suffering from worriment").
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating Russian "беспокойство" as "worriment"; "worry" or "anxiety" is standard.
- The suffix "-ment" does not make it more formal or intense; it makes it archaic and stylistically marked.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal or neutral contexts where 'worry' or 'anxiety' is expected.
- Spelling as 'worryment' (though historically a variant, 'worriment' is standard).
- Pronouncing it with three distinct syllables /wʌr-i-ment/ instead of the common elision /ˈwʌrɪmənt/.
Practice
Quiz
Which context is LEAST appropriate for the word 'worriment'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is archaic/rare. It is a valid nominalization of 'worry,' found in older texts and some dialects.
In almost all contemporary contexts, use 'worry' (noun) or 'anxiety.' Use 'worriment' only for specific stylistic effect (e.g., humour, historical flavour).
The verb form 'to worriment' exists but is even rarer and considered non-standard dialect. Always use 'to worry' instead.
'Worriment' is the standard spelling listed in modern dictionaries. 'Worryment' is an obsolete variant. Use 'worriment.'