alarming

adjective

alarm·​ing ə-ˈlär-miŋ 

: 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

Synonyms of alarming

• terrifying
• frightening
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating
• shocking

Examples of alarming in a Sentence

an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst

Recent Examples on the Web

No play was more alarming than the Seahawks converting on third-and-17, not via pass but rather a 19-yard Walker run that was stopped by defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos, who nearly recovered an opening-drive fumble in the backfield. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026

Witnesses described the blasts as distinct, spaced minutes apart, and accompanied by the sound of aircraft flying low over the city — a rare and alarming occurrence in a capital long accustomed to political turmoil but not open aerial attack. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026

The most alarming part of Joe Schoen’s roster might be how bad the defense is even after the GM invested so much on that side of the ball last offseason. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026

Levin says these side effects are common and not alarming. —Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of alarm entry 2

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alarming

• disarming
• arming
• charming
• farming
• harming