Heartworm
noun /ˈhɑːtwɜːm/ — A worry that tunnels deeper the more you try to pull it out.
Definition
A small anxiety that lodges in the heart and grows quietly, feeding on your attention — the kind you can't seem to resolve or release, and that pulses softly when you're trying to sleep.
Beyond the definition
Every time you think you've let it go, you feel it again. Not loudly — just present. Heartworm doesn't shout. It settles in and waits. The only way through it is usually not to pull but to sit still long enough for it to lose interest.
Origin & history
Coined by John Koenig in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. From heartworm — the parasitic infection that burrows into an animal's heart and grows undetected.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She carried a heartworm about the conversation she'd never finished.
Heartworm isn't the same as grief. It's smaller, quieter, more persistent.
Long after the relationship ended, a heartworm about it remained.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Heartworm” when the meaning fits your context: A small anxiety that lodges in the heart and grows quietly, feeding on your attention — the kind you can't seem to resolve or release, and that pulses softly when you're trying to sleep.
Synonyms
intrusive worry, persistent anxiety, rumination
Antonyms
peace, resolution, release
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Heartworm" mean?
Heartworm is noun meaning: A worry that tunnels deeper the more you try to pull it out.. A small anxiety that lodges in the heart and grows quietly, feeding on your attention — the kind you can't seem to resolve or release, and that pulses softly when you're trying to sleep.
Where does the word "Heartworm" come from?
Coined by John Koenig in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. From heartworm — the parasitic infection that burrows into an animal's heart and grows undetected.