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Prepositions after adjectives

Worried about, for, by, of or as?

Worried most commonly takes about or for. Other combinations are limited or have different meanings.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows worried?

Use worried about for concerns and worried for when fearing for someone's safety or future. Worried by exists but is less common and means disturbed by something. Worried of and worried as are not standard patterns.

I am worried about the exam.
They are worried for their son.
She was worried by the sudden silence.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
worried about + issue

General concerns

Use about for problems, events, or situations that cause concern.

He is worried about money.
2
worried for + person

Fear for someone's wellbeing

Use for when you fear harm, danger, or difficulty for someone.

We are worried for the missing hikers.
3
worried by + event

Being disturbed by something

By can describe the cause of emotional disturbance.

Residents were worried by the loud explosion.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
worried about
She is worried about her grades.
concerned about a situation or topic
worried for
I am worried for the children.
afraid something bad may happen to someone
worried by
They were worried by the delay.
disturbed or troubled by something
worried of
I am worried of the storm.
nonstandard in current English; use worried about
worried as
She is worried as her mother.
not an idiomatic pattern with worried

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using worried of

Standard English uses worried about, not worried of.

✕ He is worried of the result. ✓ He is worried about the result.

Using worried as

As does not normally follow worried directly.

✕ She is worried as the manager. ✓ She is worried about the manager's decision.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I am worried ___ my final exam.
2. They are worried ___ their grandmother after the accident.
3. Residents were worried ___ the strange noise.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between worried about and worried for?

Worried about refers to a problem or topic. Worried for refers to concern for someone's safety or future.

Is worried by correct?

Yes, but it is less common and usually means disturbed by something.

Can I say worried of?

No. In standard English, use worried about instead.

warm-in-up-for-to, with wary of, about or in? weak in, on, at, for or from? wealthy in, of, by, from or with? weary of, from, in, with or about? wedded to, by, for, in or into? weekly for, in, on, with or to? weird for, to, about, in or with? "welcome to" or "welcome in"? "welcoming of" or "welcoming to"? "well-known for" or "well-known in"? well-received by, in, at, among or with?

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