Beworry

/bɪˈwɝi/ verb

Definition

A rare or archaic verb meaning to make worried, to fill with worry, or to cause distress to someone.

Etymology

From 'be-' (causative prefix) + 'worry' (from Old English 'wyrgan'). Like other 'be-' verbs, it creates a causative action: to cause someone to be in a state of worry. This construction was productive in Middle English but fell out of use as phrasal verbs and simpler constructions replaced it.

Kelly Says

If 'beworry' had survived, English speakers could still use it today for poetic effect—'Don't beworry yourself' would have a nice archaic ring. The fact that it disappeared shows that while the 'be-' prefix was productive, not every formation people created caught on; some patterns just stopped working as language evolved.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.