worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ 

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 numbers for 5Action’s 9pm game were more worrying with an average of only 22,000 tuning in for the juicy Packers vs Lions matchup. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025

But despite how relieved Raiders fans must be about the win, the injury to Bowers is obviously incredibly worrying, given just how productive Bowers has been throughout his NFL career. —Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

Workers in Michigan are watching closely and worrying. —David Rodriguez Muñoz, Freep.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Cost-cutting measures Paramount is the latest company to end COVID-era remote work policies as power shifts back to employers in the context of an increasingly worrying economic environment. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for worrying

• currying
• hurrying
• scurrying