worrywart
UK /ˈwʌɹ.ɪˌwɔːt/ · US /ˈwʌɹ.iˌwoɹt/ noun
Forms worrywarts worry wart worry-wart
- noun (originally US) A person who worries excessively, especially about unimportant matters.
Synonyms
bundle of nerves worrier bag of nerves jitterbug nervous Nellie nervous wreck neurotic obsessive tightass wiener worryguts fuss-budget fusspot
Etymology
From worry + wart, apparently chosen for alliteration. Presumably related to earlier worryguts. Attested 1956, but earlier examples are found in newspapers of the 1930s and 1940s.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “worrywart”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details