worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
ˈwə-rē-
: causing worry : creating reason for worry : troubling
a worrying trend/development
a worrying question
The presence of the knife on the stage of the murder was a worrying circumstance for Wilson.Mark Twain
worryingly adverb
When the secretary returned, she handed us an envelope that looked worryingly official … Caroline Alexander
… money held by households has risen at a worryingly slow rate over the past year … The Economist

Examples of worrying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The survival of the medium often feels like a worrying message at the Oscars, but last night’s show felt particularly — and genuinely — ebullient. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Such a worrying surge was observed when, four months after Moise’s murder, a rickety wooden sailboat ferrying 63 Haitian migrants washed up in the Florida Keys — the first large group in more than two years. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 That in itself is a tragedy and a far more worrying longterm loss to the industry than may be initially apparent. Ollie Barder, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 But while the ancient knowledge of Ayurveda continues to find relevance in modern times, it is accompanied by a worrying rise of misinformation and misrepresentation. Hasina Khatib, Allure, 5 Jan. 2024 And while much of that increase was concentrated in lower-income nations like Kazakhstan, more prosperous nations, where higher vaccination rates had long made cases measles rare, are also experiencing worrying outbreaks. Megan Specia, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Another worrying statistic: The nearly 4,300 households that became homeless represent a 24% spike from 2022. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 And that judgment has put Biden in the worrying position of having to placate his left-wing base, while praying that independent voters will turn against Trump and MAGA. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 24 Feb. 2024 In a worrying sign for Democrats, President Joe Biden is trailing behind former President Donald Trump in numerous polls. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'worrying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worrying was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near worrying

Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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