worry

Compared meaning: feeling worried or afraid (verb: worry; nouns: anxiety, panic).

比较义项：因担忧、不安或恐惧而产生的情绪反应（worry 为动词，anxiety、panic 为名词）。

• worry 本词

  The only verb in the set, meaning to feel or cause someone to feel troubled about something; usually mild and about everyday concerns.

  此义项中唯一的动词，指为某事而感到或使人感到烦恼不安；通常程度较轻，涉及日常小事。

  Don't worry about the test, you studied enough.

  别担心考试了，你已经复习得很充分了。

• anxiety

  A noun for a lasting, low-level nervous feeling, often anticipating something uncertain in the future; stronger and more persistent than worry.

  名词，指一种持续、程度较低的紧张不安情绪，常常是对未来不确定之事的预先担忧；比 worry 更强烈、更持久。

  He felt a wave of anxiety before his job interview.

  面试前，他感到一阵焦虑。

• panic

  A noun for a sudden, intense fear that overwhelms someone and disrupts clear thinking, often triggered by immediate danger or an emergency.

  名词，指突如其来、强烈到让人无法清醒思考的恐惧感，通常由眼前的危险或紧急情况引发。

  Don't panic, we still have plenty of time to catch the train.

  别惊慌，我们还有充足的时间赶上火车。

Worry, anxiety, and panic all describe fear from being troubled, but the intensity grows. Worry is the only verb, meaning to feel mild trouble. Anxiety is a noun for a nervous feeling about the future. Panic is a noun for intense fear that stops thought.

这三个词都表示因担心而产生的不安或恐惧情绪，程度依次增强：worry 只是轻度挂心，anxiety 是持续的紧张不安，panic 则是突如其来、强烈到让人无法清醒思考的恐慌。这里只比较这一情绪义项，不涉及 worry 作名词表示“担忧的事”、anxiety 表示医学意义的“焦虑症”，或 panic 作动词表示“惊慌逃窜”等其他用法。

Compared meaning: feel worried (verb).

比较义项：担心（动词）。

• worry 本词

  Worry directly names the feeling of anxiety and is used freely in positive statements, questions and negatives (worry about, worry that, don't worry); it can also be transitive, meaning to make someone else anxious.

  worry 直接表达“焦虑、担心”这种感觉，可以自由用于肯定句、疑问句和否定句（worry about、worry that、don't worry）；它还可以带宾语，表示“让某人担心”。

  Please don't worry about the interview — you're well prepared.

  别担心面试了——你已经准备得很充分了。

• care

  Care in this sense mainly appears in negative or question forms (don't care, who cares, couldn't care less) meaning something causes no worry at all; in a plain positive statement it usually shifts to meaning 'value' rather than 'feel anxious'.

  care 在这个意义上主要出现在否定句或疑问句中（don't care、who cares、couldn't care less），表示某件事完全不会让人担心；而在普通肯定句里，care 通常变成“在乎、重视”的意思，而不是“感到焦虑”。

  I honestly don't care whether it rains on the day of the picnic.

  说实话，野餐那天下不下雨，我一点也不担心。

Worry and care can both relate to feeling anxious, but they behave differently. Worry names the feeling, used freely in statements and questions. Care appears mainly in negative or question forms, like 'don't care', meaning nothing causes worry; in a positive sentence, care means 'value'.

这两个词在这个意义上都能对应“担心”，但语气和常见句型不同：worry 直接表达“感到焦虑、担心”，可以自由用在肯定句、疑问句里；care 在这个意义上主要出现在否定句或疑问句中（don't care、who cares），表示“不放在心上、不担心”，而在普通肯定句里 care 通常变成“在乎、重视”的意思，不再是“担心”。这里不比较 care 的“照顾”义项（如 take care of your little sister）。

Compared meaning: something that causes worry (noun).

比较义项：因某事而产生的担心、忧虑（名词）。

• worry 本词

  The plain, everyday word for felt anxiety about anything, large or small; common in casual phrases like 'don't worry' or 'no worries', and pairs naturally with 'about'.

  最普通、最口语化的说法，指对任何大小事情的担心；常出现在“别担心”“不用担心”等说法里，习惯与“about”搭配。

  His only worry was whether the flight would leave on time.

  他唯一担心的是航班是否会准时起飞。

• concern

  More formal than worry; names one specific issue a person consciously focuses on or feels responsible for, typical of professional or serious contexts.

  比worry更正式，通常指某人自觉关注或觉得自己有责任处理的某个具体问题，常见于正式或严肃场合。

  Her main concern is finishing the project on time.

  她最担心的是能否按时完成这个项目。

• headache

  Informal and exaggerated; describes an annoying, recurring practical hassle rather than deep emotional anxiety, often used for paperwork or minor troubles.

  口语化且带夸张色彩，指令人厌烦、反复出现的实际麻烦事，而非深层的情绪焦虑，常用于手续、琐事等场合。

  Renewing my visa every year is such a headache.

  每年续签证都是一件令人头痛的事。

Worry, concern, and headache all name something that causes anxiety, but the tone differs. Worry is the plain word for anything that troubles a person. Concern is more formal, naming one specific issue someone focuses on. Headache is informal and exaggerated, describing an annoying hassle.

这三个词在“因某事产生的担心、忧虑”这一意义上相近，但语气和正式程度不同：worry最口语、最宽泛；concern更正式，通常指某个具体关注的问题；headache本义是“头痛”，这里转指令人厌烦的麻烦事，语气带夸张。这里不比较concern作动词表示“涉及、关系到”的用法，也不比较headache表示生理疼痛“头痛”的本义。