Synonym Chooser

How is the word solicitude distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of solicitude are anxiety, care, concern, and worry. While all these words mean "a troubled or engrossed state of mind or the thing that causes this," solicitude implies great concern and connotes either thoughtful or hovering attentiveness toward another.

acted with typical maternal solicitude

When could anxiety be used to replace solicitude?

Although the words anxiety and solicitude have much in common, anxiety stresses anguished uncertainty or fear of misfortune or failure.

plagued by anxiety and self-doubt

In what contexts can care take the place of solicitude?

The words care and solicitude can be used in similar contexts, but care implies oppression of the mind weighed down by responsibility or disquieted by apprehension.

a face worn by years of care

When can concern be used instead of solicitude?

The words concern and solicitude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concern implies a troubled state of mind because of personal interest, relation, or affection.

crimes caused concern in the neighborhood

When is it sensible to use worry instead of solicitude?

The meanings of worry and solicitude largely overlap; however, worry suggests fretting over matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety.

financial worries

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of solicitude Even the Scotland Residents page on Facebook, usually seething with vitriol directed toward neighbors and local officials alike, was full of solicitude and suggestions and offers of help. Gary Greenberg, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Nature has made this a necessity: Without constant care and solicitude, an infant will die. Roxana Robinson, TIME, 18 July 2024 This idea will add the inducements of philanthropy to those of patriotism, to heighten the solicitude which all considerate and good men must feel for the event. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 30 May 2024 That’s surely what accounts for the solicitude that the cryptocurrency industry has been receiving from Congress. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for solicitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solicitude
Noun
  • Still, the episode captures the show’s rich tonal blend, its combination of screwball comedy and sincere concern with the daily troubles of working people, the small dramas that add up to a life.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • In his decision, Liman found the article was protected reporting on a matter of public concern and dismissed all claims against the Times.
    Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • The film raked in what would today equal nearly $2.7 billion and left a legacy of fear that fueled shark culls, trophy hunts, and policies rooted more in panic than science.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
  • As the threat of more strikes continues to fuel fears in Israel, the residents of Tamra are left feeling anxious.
    Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • Critically, the Predator’s language is translated so that the three warriors can understand their captors, but that kindness does not extend to letting the prisoners understand each other.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 June 2025
  • But in the fleet, pacey manner of the editing, toggling between private and public moments with highlight-reel efficiency, the film is a stirring glimpse of top-down kindness as a winning leadership style.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Survey respondents’ anxiety over unemployment also declined, but a separate measure of employment trends from the Conference Board dipped slightly, reflecting lingering economic uncertainty.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 June 2025
  • When an industry accelerates this fast, anxiety is sure to follow and a growing number of CEOs aren’t asking whether to build with AI.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • Under the plan, families earning $100,000 or less would pay nothing for child care starting in 2028, as it would be paid by the endowment, lawmakers said.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2025
  • The center provides counseling, drop-in respite care, and community resource navigation under its mental health program.
    Olivia Cyrus, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • Those worries vanished when she was accepted to Yale University.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 14 June 2025
  • Fear of falling behind That worry of falling behind is something many men are wrestling with, according to a recent report by the Speaking with American Men (SAM) project, a new effort aimed at helping Democrats better reach and connect with young men.
    Elena Moore, NPR, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, European defense and infrastructure spending is expected to support growth amid growing unease over the U.S. commitment to Ukraine.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • The series draws its fear and unease from a chilling idea: the sense that dangerous people often hide in plain sight.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 4 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Solicitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solicitude. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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