alarming

adjective

alarm·​ing ə-ˈlär-miŋ How to pronounce alarming (audio)
Synonyms of alarmingnext
: causing people to feel danger or alarm or to be worried or frightened
alarming news
The statistics revealed an alarming increase in childhood obesity.
alarmingly
ə-ˈlär-miŋ-lē
adverb
an alarmingly high rate of infection

Examples of alarming in a Sentence

an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
To achieve this, Sting is much more than a load of alarming balloons. David Szondy may 24, New Atlas, 24 May 2026 Batting averages can be swayed drastically one way or another in small sample sizes like that, but another alarming aspect of the Cubs’ woes with runners in scoring position is their strikeouts. Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026 The effort comes amid an alarming rise in gray whale deaths in the bay. ABC News, 20 May 2026 The trend that was most alarming to me was that young people stopped coming out. Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for alarming

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of alarm entry 2

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alarming was in 1658

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Cite this Entry

“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alarming. Accessed 27 May. 2026.

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