: causing concern or worry : creating reason for concern : troubling
found the latest reports very concerning
"It's extremely concerning that drivers still choose to give their attention to things other than the road when they're behind the wheel," said [Texas Department of Transportation] Executive Director James Bass.—
The Nueces County Record Star
The Nueces County Record Star… carbapenems should not be administered to patients with positive penicillin skin test results or a concerning history of a type I allergic response to penicillin.—Alan R. Salkind et al.
Alan R. Salkind et al.
concerningly
adverb
Of course, South Carolina roads are also concerningly dangerous for sober drivers. In 2015, the state ranked 7th for traffic deaths overall …
—The Post & Courier [Charleston, South Carolina]
The Post & Courier [Charleston, South Carolina]
"The waivers have driven destruction in Native American burial sites. They have killed thousands of species and fragmented habitat. Most concerningly, there is zero accountability or consequence for these outcomes."
—Gloria Smith
Gloria Smith
Examples of concerning in a Sentence
Preposition
we had a meeting with the principal today concerning the new policy on student-run organizations
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Baker, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
More concerning, Russian nuclear saber rattling has reanimated concerns in Europe and elsewhere that revisionist powers might use nuclear coercion to pursue wars of aggression.
—Mariano-Florentino CuÉllar, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
Even more concerning, the occurrence of colorectal cancer in people under 50 is increasing.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Capo said that vagueness is exactly what makes the TEA’s warning so concerning.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for concerning
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.
Adjective
Let’s explore the possibilities, ranked from least to most concerning.
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
More concerning, Russian nuclear saber rattling has reanimated concerns in Europe and elsewhere that revisionist powers might use nuclear coercion to pursue wars of aggression.
—Mariano-Florentino CuÉllar, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
Even more concerning, the occurrence of colorectal cancer in people under 50 is increasing.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Capo said that vagueness is exactly what makes the TEA’s warning so concerning.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for concerning
Cite this Entry
“Concerning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concerning. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share