she started to worry

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "she started to worry" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing a situation where someone begins to feel concern or anxiety about something. Example: "As the deadline approached, she started to worry about whether she would finish the project on time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Then she started to worry.

The New York Times - Magazine

She started to worry she wouldn't find anything suitable.

The New York Times

When the child only ate once the next day, she started to worry.

The New York Times

And then, as she started to worry about what other people thought, that's when it started to be in more of an attention-getting way.

The New York Times

It was not until nearly two weeks later — when everyone else was on the mend and Orville had come down with a fever — that she started to worry.

The Washington Post

Welsh golden girl Elinor Barker stole the hearts of the velodrome crowd last night to such a degree that she started to worry that there was an Australian on her tail.

The Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Now she starts to worry.

The New Yorker

But eventually she starts to worry: What if the nanny isn't up to the job either?

The New York Times - Books

She starts to worry when things don't fit her that it's the same as why things don't fit me.

Huffington Post

Maybe she had started to worry about paparazzi or had a boyfriend.

The New York Times - Magazine

Which is too bad, because Ms. Olson, 47, left her career as a Seattle technical writer for the likes of Boeing and Microsoft, and she has started to worry about losing her home to foreclosure.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing, consider the specific nuance you want to convey. "She started to worry" implies the beginning of a worrying process. For a stronger impact, you might choose more vivid verbs like "fret" or "panic", depending on the intensity of the emotion you wish to express.

Common error

Avoid overuse of passive constructions when a more direct, active voice would be more impactful. Instead of "She was started to be worried by the news", a better alternative would be "The news made her worry".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "she started to worry" functions as a clause element within a sentence, typically acting as part of the predicate. It indicates the commencement of a specific emotional or psychological state. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "she started to worry" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate the onset of concern or anxiety in a female subject. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While seemingly simple, the choice of this phrase can influence the tone and impact of your writing. Alternatives such as "she grew anxious" or "she became concerned" offer subtle shifts in meaning. Being mindful of potential pitfalls, such as overusing passive voice, ensures clarity and effectiveness in your communication. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

she got worried

A simpler, more informal phrasing using "got" instead of "started to".

she was getting anxious

Uses a continuous tense to emphasize the ongoing nature of her increasing anxiety.

she became concerned

Uses "concerned" instead of "worry", implying a more formal or mild level of apprehension.

she grew anxious

Substitutes "started to worry" with a phrase indicating a gradual increase in anxiety.

she was becoming uneasy

Substitutes "worry" with "uneasy" to describe a feeling of discomfort or anxiety.

she began to fret

Replaces "started to worry" with a synonym that suggests a more agitated state of mind.

she felt apprehensive

Replaces the original phrase with a more descriptive adjective, 'apprehensive,' indicating a feeling of unease.

her anxiety increased

Focuses on the increase of anxiety as a standalone phenomenon.

worry crept into her mind

Offers a more figurative expression, depicting worry as something that gradually infiltrates her thoughts.

concern began to dawn on her

Uses "dawn on her" to suggest a gradual realization of something concerning.

FAQs

What does "she started to worry" mean?

The phrase "she started to worry" indicates the beginning of a state of concern or anxiety in a female subject about a particular situation or event.

What can I say instead of "she started to worry"?

You can use alternatives like "she grew anxious", "she became concerned", or "she began to fret" depending on the context.

Is "she started to worry" grammatically correct?

Yes, "she started to worry" is grammatically correct. It follows standard English sentence structure with a subject, verb, and infinitive phrase.

How can I use "she started to worry" in a sentence?

You can use "she started to worry" in various sentences to describe a character's emotional state. For example, "As the deadline approached, she started to worry about completing the project on time".