No worries means it's fine, or you're welcome. People say it in reply to an apology or thanks to show that everything is OK. It's informal and friendly. You hear it especially often in Australia, but it's also used in Britain and the US.
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Sorry… → No worries.; Thanks… → No worries.; No worries if + clause (= it's fine if…)
- 'Sorry, I forgot to bring your charger.' 'No worries, I'll borrow one from Sam.'
- 'Thanks for covering my shift yesterday.' 'No worries, you can do the same for me next week.'
- No worries if you can't come to the meeting. I'll send you the notes.
What changed
First version'Sorry I'm ten minutes late.' 'No worry, the film hasn't started yet.'
Revision'Sorry I'm ten minutes late.' 'No worries, the film hasn't started yet.'
The phrase is fixed: worries is always plural. The mistake usually comes from no problem, where the noun is singular. No worry sounds ungrammatical in English.
No worries responds to an apology or thanks that has already been said. Don't worry means “don't be anxious” and calms someone who is worried: Don't worry, you'll pass the exam. Both phrases work after an apology: Sorry I'm late! — Don't worry about it. But Don't worry isn't a reply to thanks.
Your turn
'Thank you so much for the birthday flowers!' '___, I'm glad you liked them.'
Show the answer
No worries — You're being thanked for the flowers, so you need a reply to thanks: No worries, “you're welcome”. Don't worry means “don't be anxious”, and the person thanking you isn't worried about anything.
Write a short exchange of messages with a colleague: they apologise for a specific small mistake, and you reply No worries and suggest how to fix it.
'Sorry, I sent you the wrong version of the file.' 'No worries, just send the new one before lunch.'
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