worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
ˈwə-rē-
Synonyms of worryingnext
: 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
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.
From ‘talent crunch’ to productivity and AI execution The economy (56%) and inflation (53%) top the CFO respondents’ list of the most worrying external risks this quarter. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025 Perhaps most worrying, said former NRC Chair Macfarlane, is how the DOE's safety assessment might be used to build more small reactors across the country, once the pilot reactors are built. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 17 Dec. 2025 For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year. Sam Jacobs, Time, 11 Dec. 2025 In a statement shared on X, the Imo State Police Command said their investigation was launched after reports of a worrying spate of kidnappings near a hotel and mortuary in Ngor Okpala. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for worrying

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worrying was in 1817

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

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